The Demon Inside Me
by korraborra
Summary: Finn Bálor finally makes it to the main roster when he starts losing control over his inner demon. He lashes out against the friends he's made here and his in-ring style becomes chaotic. He remains confused until Bray Wyatt, the Eater of Worlds, begins to send him cryptic promos and wants to free his demon. Will Finn Bálor be able to defeat him, or will he succumb to the darkness?
1. Chapter 1: First Match

**Hello fellow fanfiction/WWE lovers! This is chapter one (sort of an "introductory" chapter, really) of a feud that is complete fantasy booking from my imagination. I will do my best, however, to keep what happens in here as close to what happens in reality as I possibly can. Please be warned that I use a lot of the names for moves (ex: SlingBlade), so if you are not familiar with them, you can see them on YouTube.**

 **Enjoy!**

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The Demon Inside Me  
Chapter One: First Match

"Who will help these two men?" Bray Wyatt said with an eerie grin into a microphone in the middle of the ring. It was Night of Champions at WWE, and the Wyatt Family, the team of Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, and the gargantuan Braun Strowman, were opposing the duo of Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. 'Ambreigns,' as they were colloquially known, had not announced their third partner in this feud, and came out to the ring without anyone else; they were all alone. "Come out, come out, wherever you are…" Bray kneeled down, staring intently at the tag team. "…this mysterious person…does not exist, does he?"

Dean Ambrose found a microphone, and as he stood in front of the ring next to Roman, said with a smooth voice: "Let's not get hasty with the assumptions, Wyatt. Look, there was no one up here on Raw and Smackdown that wanted to help us, alright? Everybody's too scared of fresh meat apparently and too scared of a little beat down, but don't you worry your ugly little heads about it. We took care of it."

Roman took the microphone from Dean to continue speaking. "Why don't we just let him come out here right now so he can properly introduce himself? Ladies and gentlemen…" With a wide and curious smile, he dropped the microphone as Dean couldn't resist smirking and rubbing his hands together.

The entire Toyota Center in Houston, Texas blacked out a few seconds later. Scarlet tinted lights that flashed around the ring and the arena appeared to the sound of a heartbeat. Rumblings sounded in a decrescendo, _dun dun dun dun dun dun dun…_ loud at first but gradually becoming softer… the pattern continued, eventually with the screeching of a guitar as the red lights increased their ferocity. Smoke began to collect on the ramps, shrouding a shadow at the titantron. The room went black a second time as the noise was instantly sucked out of the room.

An explosion of silver pyro lit up the darkness as in front of the now bright titantron, the man came around. The smoke had cleared, and everybody could finally see him - in person and from the broadcast - the response deafening to those watching live.

Finn Bálor, wearing a leather jacket with the NXT Championship wrapped securely around his waist, had accepted Dean and Roman's plea for a partner and made his shocking debut in front of 18,000 people. The commentary team, consisting of Michael Cole, John 'Bradshaw' Layfield, and Jerry Lawler, nearly screamed in surprise and then raved on and on about how the NXT darling knew exactly how to make an entrance.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Michael Cole said into his headset. "you are looking at the man who dethroned the monstrous Kevin Owens at The Beast in the East on July 4, and if you have yet to see him in action, you are in for quite a ride tonight."

The Irishman stared at the audience around him, drinking in the scenery around him as they all cheered "NXT!" repeatedly. Adrenaline kicked in then as he opened his arms to his sides to the beat of his theme. The people followed suit, looking toward the sky and mimicking his actions that they all knew so well. He made his way down the ramp, in time, to meet his partners, exchanging last minute "let's do this" nods to each other before making their way into the ring as a unified team. The theme stopped as the Wyatts and Dean, Roman, and Finn stared one another down. Finn and Bray took center stage, Dean to Finn's right, Roman to Finn's left, and Harper to Bray's right, and Braun to Bray's left. At first glance, it was rather odd that 'Ambreigns' would call for a man shorter and scrawnier than everyone else in the ring, but to those who knew Bálor knew that he evened the odds. His unique agility and stunning offense would take down just about anybody, even Braun. His eyes met Bray's, the crowd excitedly repeating "Finn! Finn! Finn!" and then "This is awesome!"

Tonight was different; the man had a desire, and that was to prove himself a great champion. He would come out victorious, proving his capability as top dog on not only NXT, but on the main roster as well.

Bray began to laugh hysterically the way he always does whenever somebody attempts to step up to him. "Come on!" he snapped a moment later to his opponents, to Finn specifically. He started to pace as his sickeningly blue eyes focused solely on the champion in front of him. "Come on! Finn Bálor! FIGHT!" It was decided that it would be those two to start the match. The two other Wyatts, Luke Harper and Braun Strowman, stood in their respective corner as Dean and Roman did the same. The bell rang at last, and the referee took Bálor's championship as everybody watching was on the edge of their seats. Instantly, Bálor launched himself quickly at Wyatt only to have Bray slide outside the ring behind his allies. Bray never broke eye contact with Finn, but sought to observe him in this very moment, his speed catching him off guard. The ref started to count, and Bàlor motioned with both hands to Wyatt to come back in. He was ready, but Bray seemed off. Cautiously, he got back into the ring and tagged Braun in. The height difference was astounding; Finn stood at five-foot-eleven while Braun towered at six-foot-eight. Dean hollered at his teammate in order for him to tag himself in, wanting to preserve his strength for later, and thus immediately ran at the giant. Strowman, with surprisingly fluidity for a man of his stature, grabbed Ambrose's arm and threw him across the ring via hip toss. He landed squarely on his back, the shocking pain running up his spine. Braun stared at Ambrose with those beady eyes of his before steadily walking over to the Lunatic Fringe, grabbing his hair and then proceeding to toss him over to the other side of the ring again. Once more, he let out a groan of pain, the wind nearly being taken out of him. Finn and Roman then leaned over the top ropes, reaching their arms to their teammate and yelling words of encouragement to him. Braun took Dean, who uttered curses under his breath, walked backward to his team's corner, and had Luke Harper tag in. It was Luke's turn to wreak havoc on Dean, and he started with some heavy headbutts, causing him to all back to the mat. Harper forced his opponent to stand, and then threw him against the ropes. Dean slid through the middle ropes, seemingly about to fall through them but held tightly onto the top and second ones, and then used his momentum to throw himself at Harper, utilizing a vicious clothesline to his collarbone. Both men fell down, causing a loud thud, but it was Dean who was the first one to get back to his feet. He kicked Harper right in the gut, driving him into the left corner turnbuckles, sending jabs all over Harper's body to quickly disorient him before grabbing his head and executing a Running Bulldog. Dean went for the pin, the referee counting one and a half before Luke Harper kicked out. The two made it to their feet as Harper pushed Ambrose away and then Superkicked him square in the jaw. Stunned, Ambrose fell back onto the mat and Harper went for another pin, managing a two count before Ambrose kicked out. All competitors on the outside looking in had their eyes glued on the action. The Wyatts seemed more relaxed, an eerie grin resting on the lips of the patriarch.

The Wyatts seemed to have stolen the match, and victory certainly belonged to them. They were tagging themselves in over and over again, from Bray, to Braun, to Bray, and back to Harper, while keeping Ambrose as far away from his team as possible. They had all but damaged the Lunatic, bruises marking his biceps, hips, and back. He got Ambrose into the corner, had Braun tag himself once more, and more hell broke loose. Every time Ambrose tried to fight back to gain the upper hand, Strowman managed to counteract it somehow. Hits seemingly meant nothing to him; he wouldn't fall over, and it seemed like he didn't feel any offense, much like the Undertaker when he first debuted. If only he could get back to his corner and let somebody – Finn or Roman – take over for him. The giant matched Ambrose's 'crazy' eyes before once again tossing him across the ring. Surely the end was near when Braun decided to utilize his new finisher, a move that looked so much like a bear hug with an added whiplash. Strowman was crushing the Lunatic Fringe's ribcage. He was far too strong, and Ambrose was too beaten down; that did not mean he didn't try. Ambrose elbowed the strongman in the head multiple times, but doing so only made the grip on his body tighter. A moment later, his body became limp, the referee beginning to raise his arm.

"Oh hell no…" Roman muttered under his breath as he hopped down from the apron, snuck over to the other side of the ring, and climbed onto the turnbuckles, executing a flying clothesline to the unsuspecting opponent. The referee was too distracted to notice Roman, and his attack, although would have been perfect on the average sized wrestler, proved to be ineffective physically against Strowman. However, much to Reigns' delight and Ambrose's relief, the strongman let him go, staring down the Big Dog. The ref tried to yell at Reigns to get back into his corner, but Strowman wouldn't allow it; he grabbed Roman loosely by his throat, only to have him break away suddenly. Strowman turned around and was immediately hit with a running front dropkick from Bálor, causing some unsteadiness on his feet. Reigns instantly followed up with a Superman Punch, forcing Strowman to fall against the ropes. It gave the dropkick some extra momentum, but he still wasn't quite knocked off his feet. Reigns and Bálor slid under the ropes to avoid both the referee and the other members of the Wyatt Family, but the mayhem the two caused was just enough for Dean to get back to his feet, a bit shakily, then climb up the turnbuckles, and land a tornado DDT on the giant. The crowd exploded into cheers as both Braun and Ambrose lay on the mat, Braun more stunned that he was actually taken down in this match. Reigns and Bálor reached their arms over the top ropes, willing their partner to crawl toward them and shouting his name. Dean used his last bit of strength to pull himself toward them as Braun did his best just to get back to his feet. Seconds felt like minutes, but just as Braun finally stood and was about to grab Dean, he finally was able to tag in the NXT Champion, much to the delight of the audience. Bálor jumped onto the top ropes and instantly utilized a dropkick onto Strowman, causing him to stagger back once more. Bálor returned to his feet, setting his opponent up for another dropkick, executing it perfectly. Strowman was unsteady but not yet knocked down, the Wyatts yelling at their partner to stay vertical. Using this newfound momentum, Bálor ran at the ropes and sprung onto Strowman, utilizing the Sling Blade maneuver – Strowman leaning backward enough and Bálor jumping high enough to land the move, planting the giant to the ground. Bálor let out a roar of excitement, the crowd roaring back; he was the hero that they hungered for. This was his moment of triumph, and it was now or never. Bálor jumped onto the top turnbuckle and took the extra second to stare down his prey. Everyone at the event stood to their feet with their hearts beating out of their chests, Michael Cole yelling into his headset: "He's going to go for the Coup de Grâce!" Bálor jumped, his arms outstretched and his knees against his chest until finally his boots hit Strowman square in the chest. He went for the pin, the referee and the audience counting: "One, two-!" until Luke Harper interrupted by kicking the champion on his back. Bálor rolled off Strowman as Harper continued kicking him, but Reigns used his signature Spear, knocking the unhinged Wyatt member clearly off his feet. However, as soon as he looked up, The Eater of Worlds was there to side slam him. Bodies were everywhere, more than half of each team laying somewhere in or around the ring. Bray got back to his feet and had his arm wrapped around Roman's neck, setting up for Sister Abigail when Bàlor, using all of his impressive agility, executed a perfect Tornado Kick, his foot landing on the back of his head and releasing Reigns in the process. Bray slid out under the ropes from the attack, landing on his knees in shock. Braun had also slid out of the ring, so all three members of the Wyatt Family were attempting to stand up by using the announce tables. Ambrose, Reigns, and Bálor were the ones in the ring now, and as Ambrose stood, they looked at each other, at the audience, at the Wyatt Family, and back at each other, nodding in silent agreement of their next move. As one unified team, they jumped against the ropes, ran to the other side of the ring, and going for a suicide dive through the ropes, Bálor following with a somersault senton off the top rope, and finishing with Reigns doing a suicide dive as well off the top rope. It was complete and under chaos, and nobody could escape a form of pain. The referee began to yell at the men to get back into the ring, although they would require an extra second to regain feeling in their bodies. He began to count, raising both hands in the air to give a visual to those watching. He crept closer to the ten count, Bàlor and Strowman finally getting back into the ring once he counted to eight. Both men found their corners where their partners were and respectively tagged in Reigns and Bray. This was where the feud started in the beginning; it was Bray interrupting Reigns' Money in the Bank moment, shooting cryptic promos that arguably threatened the lives of his family, and then eventually forming into a family versus family feud. All the pain that Bray put Reigns through, it all came to this moment here. This is where it would end; Night of Champions is where this chapter would come to a close.

Bray grinned and kept his arms outstretched, motioning for Reigns to attack, something that Reigns did not hesitate to do. The two grappled, the Samoan Thor gaining the upperhand as he pushed him into the turnbuckles. The ref counted, "one, two, three – get out of the corner!" until Reigns let him go. That second was the moment that Bray needed; Reigns turned toward Bray and with his own superb agility, hit Reigns with an uppercut to the jaw and forced him against the turnbuckles. As Reigns stayed in the corner, Bray took a few steps back, laughing maniacally with his arms outstretched, antagonizing the crowd and being met with boos. He ran at Reigns, hitting a Body Avalanche while simultaneously hooking his arms over Reigns' arms, and using his momentum to execute a snap suplex. Laughter took over the patriarch as he quickly unveiled his creepy spider walk, his big blue eyes locking on the Powerhouse. He crept closer to Reigns and twisted his body to land on his stomach, never breaking eye contact. They both got to their feet but in this moment Bray was quicker and set his opponent up for Sister Abigail. He kissed his forehead before Reigns pushed out of his grip, knocking Bray against the ropes and then hitting a leaping clothesline. Bray was knocked down, and it was Roman's turn to encourage the crowd, which they responded well to. He got to his corner, let out a roar much like a proud lion, and crouched in preparation for his next attack, willing the self-proclaimed New Face of Fear to get up. Bray staggered to his feet, but was then planted yet again into the mat from a Spear, Reigns immediately going for the pin. Luke Harper and Braun Strowman climbed through the ropes in an effort to stop the inevitable from happening, and yet, Ambrose and Bálor would have none of it; they ran at them and in unison, executing running front dropkicks to the two other Wyatt Family members. Those four leaped out of the ring, and the three count was called. Ambrose, Reigns, and Bálor won, and this feud was over. Their trump card prevailed.

"Here are your winners," Eden Stiles announced over an erupted audience. "Dean Ambrose, Finn Bálor, and Roman Reigns!"

Bray slid out of the ring in defeat as Ambrose and Bálor met Reigns in the middle of the ring, raising their hands in victory along with the referee. Reigns and Ambrose shared a hug of relief, knowing this battle was finished. They glanced back at Bálor, Dean starting to smile and offering his hand to Bálor, which he responded to by returning the favor. They shook hands, Dean uttering a few words of thankfulness to the champion. Roman and Bálor shook hands as well, also speaking of how grateful he was to have him around. The referee returned Bálor's championship to him, and Dean and Roman raised Finn's arms in victory. Everyone watching at home began to either cheer or clap for the combatants, knowing that much more was to come, and their champion had a bright future.


	2. Chapter 2: Fallen

The Demon Inside Me  
Chapter Two: Fallen

Finn Bálor returned to NXT in the following weeks after his shocking debut at Night of Champions, specifically at NXT Takeover: Respect. What might have been even more shocking was the return to NXT itself and not straight to the main roster. He was not on Raw or Smackdown to explain his actions at the pay-per-view, but he was there at NXT Takeover: Respect, the Full Sail audience expectantly eager to see their champion again. He was the one to start off the night.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Greg Hamilton, the NXT ring announcer. "Please welcome your NXT Champion, Finn Bálor!" His music hit, and the crowd went wild, the anticipation about to destroy them on the inside. Finn appeared and made his way to the ring, wearing a black suit with the championship dragged over his left shoulder. He entered the ring with a microphone in hand, the crowd chanting: "Finn! Finn! Finn!" over and over again. He couldn't resist a sheepish grin, a slight blush glowing on his face.

"I guess I've got some explainin' to do," he said chuckling a little bit. The crowd shouted their support, eager to hear their champion speak. Finn let the air breathe for a few seconds before continuing, pacing a bit in the middle of the ring.

"As all of you may have known, two blokes by the names of Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns were in dire need of a partner going into Night of Champions. And as all of you know, the guy they called just so happened to be me." The crowd yelled in glee, proud of their champion. "And ever since that night, I've been hearing the same question week after week; why did you do it, Finn? Some people say I was in over my head for daring to defy the giant and the Wyatt Family… but honestly, it wasn't even about the Wyatts. I've been itchin' for the opportunity to really prove myself. I am the NXT Champion, and have been for the past two months…Not everybody knows what I am capable of just yet, and I wanted to set an example of what it means to be champion. A champion is honorable, and they help those in need; that's my motivation, and I would do it again in a heartbeat…for anybody here, and anybody up there." Finn shrugged his shoulders and continued to smile. The crowd seemed to understand his reasoning by the way of their clapping. "Oh, and one other thing; I am not about to pull a Kevin Owens and go back and forth from Raw and Smackdown to here on NXT; I am here to stay. Just because I went to help Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns one time on their territory does not mean I'm going to stay up there with them. I'm not about to go anywhere; so long as I have the NXT Championship, this is where I'm supposed to be." He held the championship title high above his belt, the gold shining and glistening under the spotlight. Everyone watching was ecstatic to hear they weren't about to lose their champion.

The low horns from the Submission Specialist's theme suddenly rang; it was Samoa Joe with a white towel around his neck, making his way to the ring. He wore his signature "Samoa Joe: So Cal" shirt with his red and black trunks. He entered and received a microphone from the announcer, his expression very friendly toward his partner.

"I hope you don't mind me interrupting you, Finn," Joe said, the crowd chanting his name; Finn shook his head, not at all offended. "I just wanted to tell you face-to-face that what you did for Ambrose and Reigns was ballsy, and I respect you for that. I'm proud to have you represent the brand."

Something else was clearly on Joe's mind; his eyes shifted obviously from Finn's face over to the hold title resting on his shoulder. "But enough about that," he said, smiling and looking back at Finn. "Since you're here to stay, let me tell you to keep your head in the game. Enough about what's happening up there on the other brands; we still have the semi finals for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tonight against the Mechanics." He knuckled Finn directly on the championship. "Don't forget to bring that either…" Joe's voice trailed off, and Finn could sense a change in the air. Maybe he was going crazy; Joe was his friend, and he wouldn't screw him over, right? Joe put his hand out in front of him, looking Finn directly in the eyes again and with a smile on his face. Finn nodded and shook hands with him, choosing to ignore a feeling that popped in the back of his mind.

Finn returned backstage and headed toward the locker rooms when a familiar voice called to him.

"Hey, Finn," said the NXT Women's Champion – NXT's resident hugger – Bayley. She was already in her ring gear, a white and gold combination that she wore when she first won the title back in Brooklyn with the NXT Women's Championship wrapped snuggly around her waist. "Nice speech out there. Joe was right; what you did for Roman and Dean was incredible. I'm glad you're our champion, too."

Finn couldn't help but blush at Bayley's kind words. "It was nothing really…I'm here to help people whenever I can," he said, scratching the back of his head. "Oh, I never got to say to you, what you did in Brooklyn was truly a spectacle, Bayley. You were really livin' the dream."

It was Bayley's turn to blush, but she hid it well with her grandiose smile. "Thank you!" The two champions nodded to each other. "Well, I have to finish preparing for my match tonight… it still feels like a dream that Sasha and I are main eventing tonight!"

"Best of luck to you; you're going to show everybody out there that you're the real champion, and bring the gold back home!"

Bayley placed her hand against Finn's free shoulder, her face rather serene. "And you're going to honor Dusty tonight; I just know it. You and Joe got this one in the bag! Dusty would be super proud of you two." A wide smile lit up her face, showing off her pearly teeth. "I'll see you around; good luck tonight!"

"You too, Bayley!"

The finals of the Dusty Rhodes' Tag Team Classic went on second to last, and it was Baron Corbin and Rhyno versus Finn Bálor and Samoa Joe. Both teams were on a month long journey to the top, ready to duke it out in honor of their hero and their mentor.

The match lasted for quite some time. Joe and Bálor worked incredibly well together, even though they were surprisingly even with the other team. The two of them had a somewhat similar move set, especially with those Enzuigiri kicks straight to the back of their opponents' head. Finn was the legal man for his team, and it seemed as though he were about to end the match; Bàlor and Joe were in the ring together, and Baron and Rhyno were limping outside in front of the ring. They were groaning and struggling to get back to their feet after sustaining attacks like the rope grip Enzuigiri from Bálor and a vicious Snap Scoop Powerslam from Joe. It was the opportune moment to hit that tope con hilo over the top rope from both of them; the crowd was on their feet, cheering for Joe and Bàlor to go for it. Bàlor went for the jump, running full speed ahead when suddenly he was grabbed from behind and thrown backward so that he landed on the back of his head. The audience audibly gasped, completely in shock at the inevitable. Joe looked at his partner and smiled with a smile he used many a time before forcing Bálor to stand in order to set up the Muscle Buster. He hoisted the champion on his shoulder and let him drop to the mat, executing his finisher successfully. Bàlor was out, helpless, as Joe stood over his body, letting the waves of boos rain over him as he laughed to himself. Rhyno and Corbin began to slowly grab the ropes to pull themselves back into the ring, watching Joe carefully as the Submission Specialist stayed perfectly still, raising one of his eyebrows at his opponents. "Go for it," he said, leaving without another word and allowing Rhyno to scurry in and pin the NXT Champion.

"Ladies and gentlemen, here are your winners for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic," said Greg Hamilton. "Rhyno and Baron Corbin!" And just like that, it was all over.

Bálor found his way backstage with the NXT title in hand, his head throbbing in particular from the fall. What could have possessed Joe to snap like that, and especially during one of the most important matches in both of their respective careers? Bálor thought they were friends; if Joe had a problem, they could have talked about it.

"Finn! A word, if you would?" The NXT backstage interviewer, Devin Taylor ran up to him with a microphone in hand. "Could you please tell us your thoughts on what just happened tonight with Samoa Joe? I know it must be a very difficult thing to discuss with it being so fresh, but just say whatever is on your mind."

"Devin, I haven't the foggiest idea what just happened," admitted Bálor. "I thought he and I were close… One minute, everything is going great, and it looked like we were going to win, and then the next, I'm in the Muscle Buster…"

"Were there any warning signs that you may have noticed over the past few weeks that stuck out to you as odd?"

"Let me answer all your questions, Devin," said the man in question himself, Samoa Joe, who appeared without any such noise and was still in his black and red trunks. "I was never your friend, Bálor, and I don't plan on being it anytime soon. When I came here in May, I had but one goal in mind, and that was to become NXT Champion, and for months I had to step aside and watch the likes of you take on Kevin Owens for the title when there have been so many other more deserving people, namely me. So I've done my waiting. You have something that belongs to me, Bálor, and I'm going to take it and show you what a real champion looks like." He glared at the current champion, and then left the scene, leaving Bálor with his mouth agape.

Finn was left to ponder the events for the next few days; how could this have happened? Maybe he should've caught on sooner; Joe had been awfully concerned with the championship, now that he thought about it, and always made sure that Bálor wouldn't forget it whenever they went out for a match together. He just thought Joe was being a good friend, but alas it was a red flag.

The next few weeks at NXT grew only worse for the champion; Joe had decided to ambush him at random times. During an interview with Devin, Bálor was mid-sentence into a response when Joe came out of nowhere and bashed right into his side. The following week, Bálor had a match against one of the enhancement talents, Marcus Louis, and Joe came out just as Bàlor had executed a perfect Sling Blade, and powerbombed him in the middle of the ring, interrupting the match and disqualifying Louis. Even when Bàlor was in the locker room preparing for what NXT had for him that day, Joe attacked him while his back was turned, burying him in the lockers and leaving bruises on his back. Finn could feel the demon beginning to stir deep within his belly, craving vengeance and freedom against that traitor.

Finn made his way to the ring toward the end of the night one NXT showing, wearing his black suit again with the title hanging over his shoulder in its usual place. He grabbed a microphone; his expression unchanged and angry.

"Let's cut to the chase here," Bálor said in an uncharacteristically growly voice. "Joe, get your arse out here. Be a man for once in your damn life."

It took a moment, but Joe answered the call with a microphone already in his hand. He stayed on the ramps, remaining cool and calm as he stared down his former partner. "What is it that you need from me, dear champion?"

"You've got some nerve coming at me the way you have been these past few weeks… I've never known you to be such a coward." The audience gasped at such shocking words from their champion.

Joe laughed, shaking his head. "A coward? Me? You must have me confused with everybody else in that locker room…" He made his way into the ring, standing about two or three feet away from him. "I can see it in your eyes, Finn; I'm getting inside your head. You're watching your back, and guarding your title more closely than ever. I've really been doing you a favor these past few weeks, so you're welcome."

"You're out of your mind, Joe. I've been in this business long enough to know the kinds of games you're playing; hell, I've even done it myself!"

"What, are you telling me to stop?" Joe sneered, rolling his eyes.

"I'm telling you to try something different."

The Submission Specialist couldn't hold back his laughter. A man who weighed about a hundred pounds less and stood three inches shorter than he was trying to get up in his face and intimidate him. What was he thinking, champion or not?

"That's cute, Bálor, real cute… you know, you've been living in a fairy tale ever since you've got here one year ago. That immediate rise to the top; anyone would kill to have that luck. And to overcome and beat the biggest bad guy in this company to get that championship in your quote-on-quote second home of Japan; you're a dream come true! Man, you've been hanging out with Bayley too much; she actually has you believing in fairytales."

"You leave her out of this; this is between you and me," Bálor hissed, stepping closer to Joe. "You want to do it? You want to dethrone me?" His voice remained sharp and low, daring to challenge his former partner. The tension grew between the two men, their eyes throwing daggers at one another. They were only disrupted when the theme of the general manager, William Regal, began to play, and the man himself appeared.

"Joe, I'm sorry, but you can't honestly expect a title match after continuously attacking our champion; I will not reward that behavior," Regal said, stopping right in front of the ring to speak.

"It's not like it hasn't been done before," Joe responded.

"You're not the only one who believes they deserve a title shot, I'm afraid. No matter how good you think you are, there are still others who are just as worthy at an opportunity. So here's what I'll do: Starting next week on NXT, there will be a Number One Contender tournament to face Finn Bálor at NXT Takeover: London for the NXT Championship. And Joe, consider yourself a part of the eight potential men." Regal stared up at Joe and Finn as seven other men began to appear along the ramp – those men included Bull Dempsey, Tyler Breeze, Solomon Crowe, Tye Dillinger, Baron Corbin, Rhyno, and Apollo Crews. Joe had to get through just three of them if he wanted to earn that title shot.

"I don't care whether if it's the entire locker room or just one of you; it's all going to end the same. That title shot is mine." Joe dropped his mic and left the ring, shoving some of the men out of his way so he could leave. Finn's eyes never left Joe, even as he raised his championship high above his head as an act of dominance. He would never get his hands on what rightfully belonged to Finn, and he was going to make sure of it.

The tournament kicked off on November 11 with Samoa Joe versus the creator of "Bull-Fit" Bull Dempsey. Finn snuck onto commentary, joining Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, and Rich Brennan, and kept a close watch on the match, studying every move that Joe made. No one had ever seen the champion so focused before, and so visibly angry.

The match itself lasted no more than three minutes; Bull fought valiantly, but it was a losing effort against the motivated Samoan machine. Joe got him up in the Muscle Buster, and it was all over from there; Joe was advancing.

"Are you nervous, Finn, for the potential of Samoa Joe to be the number one contender?" Byron asked.

"Not even in the least bit," he responded. "In fact, I hope he does win this tournament. He needs to be taught the lesson to not double cross me."

The tournament progressed, some of which had to be done at the weekend live events, such as Baron Corbin versus Rhyno and Tye Dillinger versus Apollo Crews. Joe went on to face Corbin. Tyler Breeze, after defeating Solomon Crowe, went on to face Apollo Crews. In just a snap, a week before NXT Takeover: London, Samoa Joe stood before the up and coming Apollo Crews. Crews was the last man Joe needed to face in order to get to Finn Bálor and that sweet NXT Championship, and he was not about to let this journey end when he was so close. These two competitors hit each other with everything they had; their high hitting kicks both stunning and powerful, and no less impressive. Crews utilized an amazing offense that consisted of Swinging Neckbreakers, dropkicks, and one hell of an impressive Spinebuster that knocked the wind right out of Joe. All it would have taken was one wrong step on Joe's part, one tiny miscalculation, and Crews would have ended it, deservedly so. But those sixteen years that Joe's been in the business came in handy; after nineteen minutes, Crews landed a Moonsault off the top rope on Joe, and just as the referee counted to two, Joe rolled out of it with Crews in his arms, put him on the top rope to form the Muscle Buster, and executed it perfectly seemingly in the matter of a second. The referee counted one, two, and three, and it was over then. At NXT Takeover: London, the main event match was set: Samoa Joe versus the NXT Champion, Finn Bálor for the championship.

Over twelve-thousand five hundred fans showed up to the SSE Arena Wembley on Wednesday, December 16 to watch NXT Takeover: London live, and millions more did so on the WWE Network. All championships were being defended that night; The Vaudevillians versus Blake and Murphy for the NXT Tag Team Championship, Bayley versus Asuka for the NXT Women's Championship, and of course, Samoa Joe versus Finn Bálor for the NXT Championship. Other feuds participated in this event, but the match on everybody's mind – besides Bayley versus Asuka – was The Demon versus the Submission Specialist.

Booming, low horns played, and out came the challenger. Samoa Joe, out with new gold and black trunks, came down the ramp with a particular swagger in his step, smirking at the crowd who replied with both booing and cheering. He entered the ring and walked around it, looking back at the titantron to await his prey. A few moments passed where Joe paced left and right, and viewers on the Network could hear the live audience's unrest.

The lights went out, the arena becoming pitch-black; the crowd began to cheer, even with the darkness lingering. But soon the red lights flickered in the audience and in the ring to the sound of a heartbeat. The screech of a guitar hissed and growled like a hawk, a shadowed figure leaping through the thick smoke that covered the entrance and ramp. The tension grew and the heartbeat raced, faster and faster until it all came to a screeching halt. The shadowed figure stood up in time, and bright white lights hailed down on him, revealing the demon deep within the champion. He wore black and red leather streamers, running down from bands around his wrists and his temples, and face paint covered the entirety of his back, face, and chest. He even had some paint in the form of skeletal hands coming up from inside his hips. The demon, noted for his sharp teeth, wide, open mouth, and slimy, thin tongue, had risen from the depths of hell and kept his sleeved arms wrapped around his prize, the NXT Championship. On all fours, Demon Bálor crawled down the ramp, much like an animal, and snaked up the steel steps and onto the top turnbuckle, stretching his arms out wide to the beat of his music twice.

Both men were now in the ring together, Finn's eyes especially wide as the two competitors stared down one another. Joe seemed unfazed in the slightest, returning the stare with an unimpressed glance that was emphasized by the raising of one of his eyebrows.

"You think the Demon is going to save you?" he said. "I'll break him, too!"

"The following contest is scheduled for one-fall," said Greg Hamilton, "and it is for the NXT Championship! Introducing first, the challenger, from Huntington Beach, California, weighing in at 282 pounds, Samoa Joe!" Half the people booed in response, and the other half chanted his name in support; Joe didn't care either way. "And his opponent, from Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, weighing in at 190 pounds, he is the NXT Champion, Finn Bálor!" The crowd was slightly more approving toward Bálor, but as the bell run and the match officially started, they couldn't help but chant the usual: "Let's go Joe," "Let's go Bálor" ordeal. The two men let the air breathe between them, letting the crowd chant their support or their disdain and allowing the anticipation to peak.

"You want to do it, Joe?" The demon said; his wide, blue eyes were made more vivid and intense by the paint on his face. "You want to dethrone me?" He repeated those sentences from months ago as Joe's lips curled into a smirk. They walked toward each other, trying to intimidate the other by using meaningless and empty threats until finally, Joe had enough and shoved Bálor backward, nearly falling on his back but was saved by the ropes. Bálor used the momentum to get back up, steady his feet, and utilize a tornado kick to the back of Joe's head before launching himself directly on him and driving him into the corner, using his forearm to jab him on the side of his face, letting out all of his frustrations that he's felt from the past few months, grunting and growling with each attack. The referee began to count: "One, two, get out of the corner! three, four –" Joe managed to shove Bálor back again, giving him a second to recuperate before landing his boot on Bálor's jaw from a Superkick. Bálor was momentarily stunted, kneeling on the ground so that Joe could force him to stand and throw him at the ropes. He ducked under Joe's attempt at a clothesline, hit against the ropes again, and landed a running front dropkick, forcing Joe against the ropes. Using his internal rage as his motivator, the demon plunged his arm onto his opponent's collarbone, the clothesline strong enough to force Joe up and over, landing first on the apron and then onto the mat itself. He let out a loud roar with his arms outstretched, the crowd shouting with glee and screaming Finn's name over and over again. He was livid, and he was not to be made a fool. Bálor stared like a predator at the Submission Specialist who found his way upright again, and the two locked eyes, the referee starting the count. Joe grunted under his breath and slid under the ropes, arriving just before the seven count. The two immediately grappled, Joe gaining the upper hand through pure strength alone, driving the champion into the corner and then proceeding to send strikes straight to his face, chest, and stomach. Joe walked a few steps away to allow the referee to stop saying: "Get out of the corner!" and then grabbed Finn, carrying him and lifting him high above his head. Joe looked directly into one of the cameras, smirking ever so confidently before just dropping Finn to the ground as if he were nothing. The Gorilla Press hit Finn hard, as expected, and Joe stood over him laughing at his pain.

"You're damn right I'm going to dethrone you," he said, grabbing Finn by the hair and forcing him to look at him. "Even your demon can't save you, Bálor!" He slapped his meaty hand across the champion's face, getting some of the face paint on the bank of his hand. He forced Bálor to stand before tossing him toward the corner, proceeding to run and slam his backside into the dizzied champion before taking a step back and kicking his temple; the agility of a man of his stature was unmatched. The champ was stunned and fell to the ground, giving Samoa Joe the opportunity to try to pin him. The ref counted up to two, but he kicked out just in time.

The match could have lasted forever, it seemed. Both sides were evenly matched, and both sides gained the upper hand only for the other to gain it back moments later. Enzuigiri kick after Enzuigiri kick, strikes, Bloody Sunday, Snap Powerslam… They hit one another with everything they had, but nobody was willing to quit. Ten minutes passed, fifteen, twenty… Samoa Joe slammed Finn Bálor against the barricades twice for good measure, but it was Finn who landed the tope con hilo to bring them both outside the ring. Joe brought them both back in and went for the pin, but was unsuccessful. He let out a groan of annoyance; what could he possibly do to put away the champion? They both got back to their feet, and Joe did what he does best – striking. With every strike that landed on Finn, the crowd yelled: "Joe!" and the faster he jabbed, the faster the crowd yelled, until the demon managed a palm strike in retaliation, causing the heavyweight to fall back a few steps. Finn saw his opportunity and executed an effortless SlingBlade. Joe finally fell to the ground, exhausted and limp.

Most of the paint on Bálor's body was all over the mats and on Joe, and he looked nearly like his normal self again. The demon was dissipating, and faster than Bálor could have predicted.

Bálor had to end this fast, and with Joe on the ground, there was only one thing left for him to do. He climbed up the turnbuckles, staring down at his challenger ever before him as the crowd was on the edge of their seats, if not standing up and voicing their support. "This is it!" yelled Rich Brennan. "He's going to put away Samoa Joe with the Coup de Grâce!" He took his courageous leap off the top turnbuckle, but was met with no body as Joe had been playing possum and got out of the way. Finn landed on his feet but rolled out to safety, standing back up only to be immediately caught from behind in Joe's infamous Coquina Clutch. They fell back to the ground, Finn flailing around, trying desperately to get out as the crowd erupted into hysteric screams. Joe had a vice grip around his head, neck, and waist, and there was seemingly no way for him to escape.

"Tap out, Bálor!" Joe yelled. "Tap out!" Many in the audience screamed for Bálor to persevere, willing him to survive and continue. He had to think fast; in another moment he would succumb to the darkness caused by the sleeper hold, but there was no way in hell he would tap out. Not like this. Finn continued to flail and roll around, hoping to gain some momentum and reverse the pressure. He pushed through the pain, even with Joe's grip tightening and the world around him becoming fuzzy; the champion rolled onto his stomach with Joe on his back, and through the power of pure adrenalin, got back on his feet and ran backward into the turnbuckles once, twice, thrice, just to release the grip. Joe let go, and the two men collapsed, exhausted.

"Oh my god!" the commentary team said in unison.

"An impressive display of pure strength on the champion, Finn Bálor's part!" said Byron Saxton.

"But how much did it just take out of him, and Joe as well?" replied Corey Graves. The crowd was screaming the ultimate chant: "This is awesome!" repetitively as the referee began to count the fallen both men. If he reached ten, Bálor would retain. Around the count of seven, miraculously they started to stir, Joe getting to his feet first. He breathed heavily, as did Bálor, but that did not stop him from finding a burst of energy deep within him to strike his opponent. They exchanged blows, with eventually Bálor hitting more, pushing the Submission Specialist back into the corner. Finn found his way on top of the turnbuckles once more, but his exhaustion caught up with him and he was one second too slow. Joe planted an Enzuigiri to the back of Finn's head – his agility never ceasing to be so impressive – stunning the NXT Champion. He fell into Joe's shoulders, limp, and Joe was able to put him into the Muscle Buster. He walked to the center of the ring, giving the camera one last look before dropping down to the mat hard, the ring yelping at the intensity. The champion was laid out and motionless, Joe covered him as the referee counted, and champion Bálor was no more. One, two, three; Joe won.


	3. Chapter 3: Redemption

The Demon Inside Me  
Chapter Three: Redemption

He couldn't believe what he just experienced in the ring. He lost; Finn lost. But dare he even say, the demon lost. Bruises and dried blood marked his skin from that battle, the bones under his aching muscles stiff and pained. He'd get his rematch as all ex-champions do, and then what? Lose again while all his defenses were down?

Finn returned to the locker room, an ice-cold towel around his shoulders and knocked over miscellaneous items off the benches. He couldn't help his anger when he was so close to retaining his title, a title he worked so hard to obtain for fifteen years. If only he didn't expend so much energy toward the end… He knew better, and he still lost. He sat down, a mess of discarded clothes near his feet, and placed his head in his hands. Undefeated in NXT the lot of them, in one way or another… somebody had to give…

Bálor needed time to recuperate, his body banged up worse than he thought; he nearly disappeared from the audience's eyes for four weeks. To go back into the shadows and away from the spotlight, that way he could find peace in whatever decision he had to make…

January 20, 2016. NXT started at Full Sail University, and the brand new NXT Champion, the Submission Specialist known as Samoa Joe decided to finally grace the crowd with his presence over a month after he emerged from Takeover: London the victor. The low roar of his music hit, and the crowd greeted him a confused mixture of boos and cheers; not like he cared. He came out with the NXT Championship over his right shoulder, a white towel over his left, and his gold and black trunks over his legs. Izzy, the Bayley cosplayer and superfan, looked at him with disdain and shouted her unhappiness at him with the added bonus of sticking her tongue out at him. Joe entered the ring, receiving a microphone from Greg Hamilton. He placed himself in the center, and just as he was about to speak, the crowd simply would not let him, the defiant and angry shouts silencing him.

He let them complain for a moment longer, chuckling to himself as he began to count on his fingers and eventually holding up eight.

"Eight months," he finally said, the crowd barely getting softer. "I've been here for eight months, and I've been undefeated in NXT ever since I showed up…and I'm still counting. Everybody who has crossed paths with me has fallen before me, even your precious Finn Bálor!" He laughed to himself as if he had something funny to say. "Speaking of the demon… no one has seen or heard from him since that night… not back stage, and not even on social media. Right… he's probably still off licking those wounds of his that I gave to him in December." He let the air breathe as if daring the titantron to go off, the crowd even beginning to chant: "We want Bálor!" Joe stared at the LED boards, willing it to change with just an expectant expression. But nothing happened, ten seconds later, twenty seconds, thirty, sixty… he just wasn't there.

"Just as I thought. I have defeated your beloved Bálor, and I have slayed your demon!" He dropped the microphone, chuckling to himself again while leaving the ring and returning backstage. Joe was an unstoppable freight train, and nobody could stop him.

February 10, 2016. Joe returned to the ring again for the main event, fighting against the likes of Baron Corbin. Corbin was angry after passing by already eight champions, and how Joe couldn't stop boasting about his superiority over everybody else in the locker room. He wasn't going to stand for it, even if Joe laughed in his face.

"You still have a lot to learn, Joe," Corbin said when they stood together in the ring, the crowd's mood very tense.

"Are you the one that's going to stop me, Corbin?" Joe sneered, the corner of his lips curling into a smirk. Corbin said nothing; he turned away to look at the audience, to get their approval in a sense, scratching his chin to add a more pensive look.

"Come on, Corbin… hit me… hit me!" Joe pushed him in the chest, trying to antagonize his opponent. "Hit me, Corbin!" Joe hit him in the chest once more but immediately was met with a strong forearm by Corbin, hitting Joe on the nose. The bell rang with Corbin having the upper hand.

The match went on for a long while, upward toward fifteen minutes. The two exchanged dominating the other; Corbin twice and Joe thrice. As hard as Corbin fought, and with multiple close calls with Small Packages and roll ups, Joe somehow always managed to kick out. At the last second, Joe brought Corbin onto his shoulder and hit the Muscle Buster; one, two, three. The NXT Champion stood tall with the championship raised in one hand and a laugh against his smirking lips. It was all too easy for him. He grabbed a microphone, desiring to attack the audience once more. He was met with nothing but boos, the crowds displeasure nearly deafening.

"Oh, shut up, you ungrateful excuses for human beings!" he shouted, his face melting to anger. "I have once again ran through one of your blessed heroes, and that will continue to be the story around here for as long as I'm here – NOBODY can touch me!" He rolled his eyes as the crowd began to chant: "No! No! No!"

"You know, I'm going to issue a warning to everyone in that locker room right now." His voice was low and barely audible, but there was darkness in the color of his timbre. "If any one of you decide to get in my way, all of you - and I do mean all of you – will end up exactly like Corbin here…and Finn Bálor. So if you got any brains left in your skulls, you'd best –" The lights suddenly went out completely, cutting Joe off and silencing him mid-sentence. It took a moment but red lights began to flash, the familiar heart beat in time with every flash.

Rich Brennan gasped loudly. "Is that –?"

"We've seen this before…" said Byron Saxton.

The lights came back on, revealing the former NXT Champion painted in his demon persona, crawling up the turnbuckles.

"The demon has returned to Full Sail University!" yelled Corey Graves, clutching the sides of his seat.

Finn Bálor's blue eyes were filled with an anger that no one in the NXT Universe had ever seen before, and he stared down at the Submission Specialist. It was a mixture of the desire for revenge and pure, absolute hatred. The two of them locked glances, unwilling to let the other one go. Bálor had nothing to lose this time around. Samoa Joe, after a moment, rolled his eyes, dropped the mic, and exited the ring, not wanting to engage in a battle with somebody he already defeated.

"You aren't worth my time," Joe said, walking around the ring with the championship over one shoulder. Demon Bálor never let him out of his sight and remained unnaturally still. Only when joe reached the ramp did Bálor move with a unique speed, and with both feet on the top of the turnbuckle did an impressive moonsault, landing on top of Joe as they both crashed onto the mats. Bálor got right back up, grabbed Joe, and shoved him against the steel stairs, the steps flying backward from the sheer force. Joe let out a yelp, the utter pain concentrated in his spine and keeping him down on the mats. The NXT Championship lay next to Bálor's feet, and slowly did he look down at it, gently taking the title and hopping back in the ring. He stared at it, his hands caressing it very steadily the way he used to. The audience erupted in a fit of excitement, even beginning a "Yes!" chant. He looked back up at the crowd and raised the championship high above his head, the camera focusing directly on his face, the angry intensity never wavering.

The show came to an end, and Finn made his way back to the gorilla room with no championship in his possession. He had no aches in his body tonight, but his mission was clear. He must take back his title.

He was making his way throughout the hallways when a familiar voice took his attention.

"Finn!" It was Bayley, the NXT Women's Champion. He looked toward her, his eyes previously glued to the floor, and he let out a deep breath.

"Bayley…" he responded in a quiet voice. Her expression showed surprise; she had seen the demon before in action, but this was the first time she had seen this side of him face-to-face.

She softened her face into a wide grin. "It's so good to see you back here! I have every ounce of faith in you in all your endeavors." She wrapped her arms around the demon in a tight embrace.

He blinked slowly and seemed slightly taken back at the sign of affection. "Thank you…Bayley…" She was just about to make her leave when Bálor began to speak again. "I heard…that Alexa and her henchmen have been giving you some trouble lately… if you need anybody…I'll take care of them for you… no questions asked…"

"Thank you, Finn, but worry about yourself for now, okay?" Bayley blushed but kept smiling. "I'm an Iron Woman AND a champion; I can deal with her," she said, nudging the championship that hung from her shoulder blade. "Now if Joe gives you too much trouble, I'll take care of him for you."

Finn smiled a bit as Bayley walked away, and made it back to his locker room, the demon recoiling back inside by the end of the night.

It was now Finn's turn to strike back and make Joe feel every ounce of humiliation that he felt in the weeks leading into Takeover: London. It was only fair if Bálor forced Joe to have an iron grip on that title, lest he wanted to lose it, right?

The demon, painted up in black and red with his strings hanging from his head and wings attached to his arms, looked directly into the camera, his eyes unwavering.

"Joe… you took everything from me…"

Finn sneaked up behind Joe backstage, and hit him in the back with a steel chair.

"…my title…my health…my security…"

The championship slipped from Joe's grip, and with one swift motion, Bálor snatched it before it hit the ground and used the belt to slap it against Joe's body.

"…you left me gasping for breath, but you still left me alive…you should have killed me when you had the chance…"

Joe tried to spear the demon, however the reaction speed was far too great for him, and he slammed into a pole.

"…now, everywhere you are, Joe... I will be one step behind you… I'm your shadow…and every time you think you're safe and alone…. I will be there…"

Bálor grabbed Joe by the back of the head and threw him backward so he fell directly to the floor.

"…be afraid of the dark, Joe… be afraid of the shadows… I'm there… I'm always going to be there… I will never let you rest… feel everything I did… all that you did to me…"

The demon took the NXT Championship and laid it across Joe's body, in the same defiance as Joe had once done to him.

"…keep my title warm for me…At Takeover, March 16, I'm taking it back… you will feel so alive one last time before you die…"

The weeks passed, and each being worse than the last for the NXT Champion. Finn kept his promise, and Joe could have sworn that any sudden move in his peripheral vision was the demon ready to strike. Paranoia haunted him. Any time he went out into the ring, he half-expected a visit from Bálor, or if he went into the locker room, he could have sworn that he was being followed. Even with all this added pressure, Joe still came out on top in his matches, his only solace and comfort knowing that he was undefeated. He was still the monster…right? But those eyes of his, cold as they were blue, burned in the back of Joe's mind.

March 16, 2016. NXT Takeover had finally arrived at Full Sail University, and the culmination of all the Superstars' hardwork was to come into fruition here. Rivalries would be made, and rivalries would end. All titles were on the line; Dash and Dawson vs Chad Gable and Jason Jordan for the NXT Tag Team Championship, Bayley vs Alexa Bliss for the NXT Women's Championship, and Finn Bálor vs Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship. Gable and Jordan finally ascended to the top and successfully became the new Tag Team Champions. Bliss gave it everything she had, her athleticism never more impressive than on this day, but still, the Resident Hugger, Bayley, came out on top, her 207 day reign continuing for weeks to come. And then, the highly anticipated rematch finally arrived. Bálor came out first, painted up his usual black and red colors on his chest and face, with skeletal hands crawling up from his hips. On his back, the wrinkled, ugly face of a demon stared at the audience with his red mouth agape, baring his large fangs. Slowly, Bálor unhooked the strings from his head and threw them outside the ring, watching the titantron with an impeccable focus; he remained so still that one could not see him breathe. It took ten seconds of silence, but then the horns of Joe's theme sounded, the champion appearing with his white towel hung over one shoulder and the title over the other. He walked to the beat of his music, wearing a pair of black and white trunks. His face remained bitter and angry, staring into the cold eyes of Bálor, neither one of them daring to look elsewhere. Joe entered the ring and walked right up to the demon, raising the championship high above his head and smirking.

"You going to get your title back, Bálor?" asked Joe, chuckling under his breath. His challenger did not give the title a single glance, instead opting to look Joe right in the eyes, the demon's expression unwavering.

These two men were given a stipulation for their rematch, and how fitting it was to be a Last Man Standing. One sought revenge, and the other would do anything in order to retain; neither would give up until their dying breath. This was the only way to settle the score between the two of them.

The referee took the NXT title from Joe and stood in front of the two men in order to explain the rules.

"Alright, you two, this is for the NXT Championship," he said in a stern voice. "There are no countouts, pinfalls, or submissions; the only way to win is for one of you to beat a ten count before the other. Do you both understand the stipulation?" Both of them nodded their heads. "Then may the best man win."

The bell rang three times, but neither man moved immediately. Bálor remained frozen in place, as Joe shook his head in disbelief, beginning to laugh quietly.

"I've seen that look before in another man's eyes…" Joe said. "You're not him, Bálor. You can pretend to be as resurrected as you want and play all your little mind games, but I know who you are."

Bálor refused to move, and the longer he stayed still, the more it infuriated Joe. Joe breathed heavier, his heart beginning to race in anticipation and expecting to be hit at any second.

"Move, Bálor… just move already! Don't look at me with those eyes!" He yelled, finally lunging forward with strikes ready to go, but as soon as he swung, the demon retaliated by grabbing Joe's arm and used his own momentum against him to execute an arm drag. Bálor jumped onto Joe's body as soon as Joe hit the mat, and started delivering forearms to his face, dishing out the pure aggression he had pent up inside him. Joe did the best he could to protect his face, but the attacks on him only angered him; he pushed the demon off of him and slammed his opponent to the mat to deliver his own set of forearms.

"You like that, Bálor? Huh?!" Joe barked, pausing for just a second before grabbing him by the hair, standing up, and throwing him outside the ring. He exited the ring as well but to the side where the audience could reach out and pat him on the back. The Submission Specialist lifted the ring apron and pulled out a shiny black steel chair, looking up between the ropes to see where Bálor was. As quietly as he could, he ran around the ring, and jumped at the demon, hitting him in the head with the chair. Though he got his forearms up in time, Bálor still took damage, reluctantly letting out a low groan of pain. He fell back, exposing his back to the NXT Champion as the latter hit him there over and over again. A mixture of anguished grunts and the sound of metal slapping against flesh filled the air. The steel chair eventually bent from the attacks so Joe discarded it to his right, watching his prey crawl to the corner and try to pick himself up by using the steel steps. He bent his knees, egging the demon to get up and turn around so he could bury him into the steel. Just as Bálor stood, Joe dashed at him expecting flesh, only to be greeted by the edges of cold metal – the demon swiftly dodged the oncoming attack and added to Joe's pain by landing a front drop kick, smashing the champion even more into the steps. Joe fell against the cool texture of the mats, his skin becoming pink. The referee came out of the ring and began the first count.

"One! Two!" He threw his fingers in the air as he counted. "Three! Four! Five!" Joe stirred, finally breaking the count at seven. He slowly got up, a dangerous look in his eyes as he embarked on a chase with the demon. Bálor ran the perimeter around the ring with Joe following suit before sliding inside and hurrying to his feet. Joe made it in and just as he got to his feet, Bálor hit him with a tornado enzuigiri, stunning him instantly. Bálor took a few steps away to shake his arms and his head and to pace around a bit, his skin crawling with energy and anticipation. The crowd cheered for their beloved babyface as he looked around at all of them. So many people were on his side, and it was such an easy thing for him to forget.

Joe got up on his knees, locking eyes with the demon once more, those cold eyes of his looking right through him as if he were inferior. The mere notion aggravated Joe, and he charged right for him. Bálor stepped just out of the way as Joe hit the ropes, turning and running at the demon again. Bálor jumped up into a leapfrog, and this time, it was Joe's turn to hit the enzuigiri. The kick landed right to the back of the head, causing the challenger to fall to his knees. Joe picked Bálor up and threw him to the turnbuckles before running full speed at him, jumping at the last second and slamming his body hard against Bálor's. He repeated this action another two times before the demon collapsed to the floor.

"You can do so much better than this, Finn," Joe said as he grabbed Finn's hair and forced him to look into his eyes. "You want your title back? Huh?" He slapped the challenger with the palm of his hand. "Where're your mind games now, huh?!" He slapped again but with the back of his hand. "Fight me, Finn! Fight me!" The slaps slowly morphed into strikes that forced the challenger to stand and trip backward. Bálor hit the ropes, looking strangely dazed. Joe took advantage but as he went to flip him over the top rope, Bálor regained his consciousness and ducked to pull the ropes down, sending Joe over the top in his place. Joe hit the floor, annoyed with himself that he fell for the obvious trap. This entire match was infuriating, and they were only minutes in. Joe sighed angrily and decided to change gear. He went straight for the timekeeper's area where the NXT Championship stayed and snatched it, holding it close to his chest as he began to walk away from the scene. The crowd booed at Joe's cowardice, annoyed that this was the champion they were subjected to. The demon was not about to stand for this injustice, so as Joe made it to the beginnings of the ramp, he gained the momentum needed and hurled himself over the top rope for the tope con hilo. But Joe was smarter than Finn gave him credit for; Joe knew how to draw in the challenger and just as the demon was about to land on him, the champion swung his title in his opponent's stomach with enough force to stop him midair. Finn hit the ground as Joe roared in accomplishment, tossing the championship to the side, grabbing Bálor by the back of his neck, and then tossing him into the ramps back-first.

"I should have killed the demon when I had the chance…" Joe hissed at Bálor, grabbing the back of his neck once more. This time, Joe noticed that blood began to drip down the painted chin of Bálor for his lip had been busted open, and he looked up him with sadistic grin on his face.

"Yes, you should have…" Bálor defiantly replied, spitting in his face and slamming his forearm in Joe's face hard enough to throw him back. Joe turned his back on the demon and with a surge of sudden strength, Bálor grabbed Joe's shoulders and jumped up so his knees slammed against his back, executing a double knee backbreaker. Both men lay on the cold of the ramp, pain finally hitting them as the referee rushed out to start his count. The Full Sail audience erupted into cheers of "holy expletive!" for a solid minute before shifting into "this is awesome!"

No one wanted to give up in this match. Back and forth, these two men went, exerting an ungodly amount of energy just to get the other one down; they had points to prove, and to lay down for a ten count could not be asked of either one. Muscles were stretching in both bodies, and scratches were marking their skins, but it didn't matter; neither one would or could give in.

Twenty minutes in, and they were on their last legs. Joe and Bálor returned to the inside of the ring, visibly shaking as they attempted to get back up on their feet. More chair shots against bare flesh, kendo sticks, and high risk maneuvers off the top rope highlighted the match, and it would be a shoe-in for "Match of the Year." They both stared each other down, Bálor hitting Joe with a weakened and slowed forearm with the approval of the crowd. Joe returned the hit, and the crowd grimaced. Back and forth they went, both regaining lost stamina before Joe slammed his thigh into Bálor's stomach, forcing the opponent to hunch over. This gave Joe the opportunity to execute a swinging neckbreaker and both men hit the mat once more, not moving. The referee counted, eyeing the contestants for the slightest movement out of either of them. He got upward toward the count of seven before either man crawled to the ropes to pull themselves up to their feet. They got to opposite corners of the ring before looking back at one another, glaring daggers at the other. Finn was tripping over his feet as he tried to stand, and his body shook vigorously, but pure adrenaline kept him conscious. He lowered his face but kept his eyes locked on Joe, that ice cold expression appearing again.

"…don't give me that look, Bálor!" Finding it within his reach, the Samoan found the power to run full speed at Finn, who in turn ran at Joe in order to execute what appeared to be the SlingBlade. Bálor swung around his opponent much like he would for a SlingBlade, but this time he clung to Joe's back, wrapping his legs around his stomach and his arms around his head.

"Coquina Clutch! By Bálor!" exclaimed the ring announcers who jumped up from their seats from the mere excitement of the match.

"But remember, there are no submissions in this match…" Corey Graves said, his eyes glued on the scene.

"It doesn't matter; Bálor's weakening Samoa Joe!" said Byron Saxton. "Bálor could be on his way to regaining his championship!"

In the ring, Joe reached for the rope that was so out of his grasp; they were in the center, and he had nowhere to go. Many a time, he put a person into this submission but when was the last time he had it done to him? He tried to use the last bit of his strength to roll around, but it was a slow process, and in a few seconds, lights would go out – he had to do something. The Samoan thrashed around as best as he could; flailing his arms and twisting his body in hopes that he could loosen Bálor's grip on him. Joe had to elbow him in the rib area before he was finally released.

Blood stained the ring, and their bodies were sprawled next to each other. The referee counted as he always had. Finn stood up with the wobbliest of legs. Joe also got himself up somehow, a line of blood running down from the top of his head from a tiny cut. Finn's back was toward Joe, but he knew exactly where he was, and with the last bit of energy left in his body, he threw himself backward, his leg coming up to Pelé kick Joe in the face. They both crashed down, and neither man could answer the ten count after that. The referee counted, slowly even, but the physicality of the match proved to be too much for their mortal bodies, and they remained grounded.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said the ring announcer, "neither Finn Bálor or Samoa Joe could answer the ten count, so the referee has decided that Samoa Joe is still the NXT Champion!"

The rematch was over, and neither man appeared on NXT for the next few weeks.

March 30, 2016. Triple H, the "father" of NXT and figurehead of the Authority, called Finn Bálor into his office that night for a prescheduled meeting. Finn's lip was the slightest bit puffy and the bruises on his skin were nearly faded, but the emotions from the rematch remained buried in the back of his mind.

"Have a seat, Finn," Triple H said as they entered his office.

"I'm ready to get back into the ring, Hunter," Finn said immediately. His boss nodded and smiled.

"Of course you are."

"If I have to enter a tournament to be number one contender again, I'll do it. Whatever it takes to get back my title."

"As always, your enthusiasm is always appreciated, but we have to think of the bigger picture here." Triple H sat down at his desk and folded his hands over his desk. "You're one of the most popular guys we have down here in NXT. You've been here well over a year, been in a handful of stories, and you've been NXT Champion for a decent amount of time. Your story is essentially wrapping up here, Bálor."

Finn paused and looked at Triple H a bit perplexed. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying it's time to move onto something new and fresh. You've done all you can here. This has been a long time coming, but you've never been more ready. And as you know, Wrestlemania 32 is this Sunday, so that means somebody needs to be ready for Raw the following night."

"Hunter…"

"Welcome to the main roster, Bálor."


	4. Chapter 4: Next Mission

The Demon Inside Me

Chapter Four: Next Mission

Finn had a lot of thinking to do; many of his friends from NXT had moved on to the Main Roster, and he missed them dearly. But was he himself ready to say goodbye to the place he held residency for over a year, to go on to "bigger and better things" as they say? Was he willing to say goodbye to certain people?

The man behind the demon took out his iPhone and decided to make a phone call; talking out his thoughts would help him.

"Bayley? Are you free right now? …alright, great… Can you meet me in front of the Performance Center? …awesome, see you soon."

She was the only one here who he could really talk to; Joe ruined their friendship, and Finn wasn't all that close to anyone else in the locker room. It was the curse of being on top for so long; there were never any friends up there. But he at least had Bayley with him, and she was good company.

The two of them met at their predetermined spot, the Women's Champion wearing her brown hair down and her black NXT sweatshirt. They embraced upon sight, nothing but smiles out of them.

"What's on your mind, Finn?" she asked as they began to take a walk. "You seemed worried when you called me."

"Keep this on the down low, but Hunter said it's time for me to, uh… go to the Main Roster. Y'know, start makin' my transition up there," he responded, looking down at his shoes.

Her eyes widened. "Finn, that's wonderful! When are you going up?"

"…this Monday."

"That's such short notice… but that's still fantastic! Man, I'm so excited for you!"

"I… I don't know if I'm ready yet, honestly."

"If there's anybody who is, it's you. Everybody's gonna love you; I mean, they already do here."

"I've only been in NXT for a year and a half, and I'm being called up. Bayley, you've been around for the better part of nearly four years; you deserve the opportunity more. Imagine what you're gonna do once you hit Raw and Smackdown; I could never compete with that."

She blushed at his kind words but shook her head. "They'll find a time and place for me eventually… though, honestly, I hope it's soon… I'm really missing my girls." An image of the other three of the Four Horsewomen – Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch – popped in her mind. She smiled, but also seemed a little sad at her own words. "But I'm keeping this championship for as long as I can!"

"You make a great champion, Bayley. I'm glad we got to be champs together." It was Finn's turn to smile. The two of them had shared many memories together at house shows, holding hands with their championships high in the air and overall hugging after tag team matches. They were invincible and the best in the business.

"Hey, look at me, Finn. The people are going to love you, and you're gonna shake things up there. You'll make the rest of us proud. Finn, they need you."

He laughed to himself before finally nodding his head. "Thank you, Bayley… I'll be waiting for you up there for sure. You should be the next one to come up. Hell, we should go together! Let me talk to Hunter…" He started to turn to walk back to the Performance Center, but Bayley grabbed his arm before he could get too far; she was chuckling but shaking her head at the same time.

"I don't… I can't. There's still so much left for me here to do before I can even consider going up there; I still have things to accomplish."

"I figured as much," he said, knowing his effort was futile. "Hey, wanna grab some food? It might be the last time we get to see each other for a while."

"Let's do it!"

The next day, Finn had to confirm that he wanted to go to the main roster to Triple H as soon as possible, and even though he continued to have his doubts, talking to Bayley helped him make peace with the decision. It was time to leave, was it not?

"Hunter, I'm in."

April 4, 2016: Monday Night Raw, and the night after Wrestlemania 32. Finn knew immediately that he entered an entirely new atmosphere when he entered the arena. Sure, he had been backstage once before at Night of Champions, but this was permanent. That piece of knowledge alone threw him off, but all these new faces that he was only familiar with on television added to the pressure he was already giving himself.

Wrestlemania 32 saw two new champions, and deservedly so. The new WWE World Heavyweight Champion was one of Finn's old partners, Roman Reigns – the culmination of a fifteen-month struggle, and he finally made it to the top of the mountain with no dastardly Money in the Bank briefcase in sight. On the flip side, the fans gleefully witnessed the dawning of a new Divas Champion in the Boss herself, Sasha Banks. She defeated the three-time champion, Paige, on the grandest stage of them all to grab her first main roster title. After five consecutive and grade A performances at NXT Takeovers, there was no woman more worthy of bringing down a former NXT Women's champion. And there was no other woman better fit to restore prestige to the Divas Championship than Sasha Banks.

Bálor saw so many of his former opponents and friends; he almost forgot just how many passed through to get to the Main Roster. Kevin Owens, Tyler Breeze, Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Neville… they were all there, and now so was he.

Finn waited backstage, eager to watch the opening segment on one of the many TVs they had – the man had plenty of time before it was his turn. The first man out was the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion himself, Roman Reigns; Bálor couldn't wait to hear him speak. He came out to the ring with his shiny new championship and a smile on his face, the crowd welcoming him like a hero by chanting his name before he even spoke a single word.

"It's nice to see you, too, Dallas," he started, the grin ever present on his face. "Last night, I started my legacy, and finally I got to the top of the mountain at the grandest stage of them all. It took over a year… I took beating after beating, got within fingertips of this championship only to have it stolen from me multiple times… I had to start over again and again, but hell, I did it last night. And this right here, this means everything to me…" He looked at the title, clutching it with his free hand. "…and nobody is taking this away from me. Not for a long, long time. Believe that." He let the air breathe again as he stared at the prize for a moment, but this time, his facial features slowly changed. His smile melted into a frown, making his skin sink and the wrinkles around his eyes disappear. Something was wrong.

"You know, I struggled my way to the top many times as you all saw," he said, his voice deep and uncharacteristically hollow. "It all began with Brock Lesnar. Then it was Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, and even my brother Dean Ambrose. Everyone in that locker room tried to keep me away from this…" Roman began to pace around the ring with his head down and his championship hanging from his free hand. "– Not one of those guys thought I could do it, and they all tried to hold me back." He stopped suddenly and rather carefully, he looked back up and directly into the camera, his eyes sharp and glaring. "Now, I can handle all those men back there; they're no trouble. We all have our own paths to take, and they just wanted to reach the top just like I did. But there was always one real obstacle in my way, one reason why it took well over a year to get this championship… and that obstacle was all of you." He pointed to the camera and then to the crowd who suddenly went silent except for some murmurs. "That's right, all of you who ever doubted me. Did you really think I couldn't hear you? Those 'Let's go, Roman – Roman sucks!' chants you love to chant, as if you're all so clever, and those dirt sheets complaining that I was chosen for this and I didn't earn anything. Or my favorites: 'You can't wrestle!' 'Nobody likes you!' and 'You're only here because of your cousin!' As if any of you really know what it takes to stand up here in front of thousands of people and perform night in and night out. None of you know anything about this business even if you think you do, and I don't need any of you. Not your fake support, and certainly not your hatred. So you can take your disloyalty, and shove it for all I care. To hell with all of you." The crowd had no idea how to react; they were stunned at the Samoan Thor's words. Just then, Motörhead began to play, and out came the man and woman behind NXT, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. They made their way to the ring, their eyes glued on Reigns.

"That was uh, quite the speech there, Roman," Stephanie said. "But getting back to your original point, you did earn that championship last night. What a performance you put on against the Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar in the main event. You've actually silenced Paul Heyman which is something not everyone can say!"

"We don't admit this very often, Roman," Triple H said with a crooked smile. "We were wrong about you. We were wrong for making Sheamus the champion back at Survivor Series. But we were right to add Lesnar into the equation… two powerhouses ripping each other apart; it doesn't get much better than that. Regardless, Sheamus and Lesnar weren't the new men we needed to represent the brand… it was you. We should have stuck to our guns, and made you champion back then."

"If I remember correctly, I declined your offers, and then speared your ass," Roman hissed.

"The way we approached things with you… maybe it wasn't the smartest idea we've ever had," Stephanie said. "Seth had just vacated the championship due to injury, and we needed somebody new desperately. It was a stressful time for all of us, and we apologize for how it unfolded."

"You know, the offer still stands, Roman. You have the championship now, but there's more to be done – you gotta make this reign mean something, and we can make you into a legend. That's what's best for business."

The Samoan Badass stayed silent for a moment as The Game held his hand out. The audience chanted "no! no! no!" continuously, but Roman rolled his eyes and shook his head. He said nothing, but stepped forward and took Triple H's hand, viciously pulling him in like he had done in an interview with Lesnar after the Royal Rumble; it was as if it were a warning to Hunter. He turned to Stephanie and shook her hand as well, all three people in the ring smiling at their newly formed alliance.

Roman Reigns just joined The Authority.

Finn couldn't believe his eyes; he actually said yes to joining them.

"He must have snapped if he actually agreed to this…" he muttered to himself; maybe it was because he had always had the support of the crowd behind him, but he just could not understand Roman's reasons for turning against them like that.

Finn got ready as the program continued to roll, putting on his ring gear and "Bálor Club" shirt, and lacing up his boots. It was show time, permanently.

It was about nine o'clock, and The Lunatic Fringe was cutting a promo in reaction to his brother's surprising decision to join The Authority. Roman eventually came out as well so the two could look each other in the eye as they came to a crossroads in their brotherhood.

"I don't know how to react to this, man," the Intercontinental Champion said. "This ain't no joke."

"You can either join me, or we go our separate ways, Dean," Roman responded bluntly. "No harm to you either way."

They stood together in the ring silently, Dean conflicted if he should agree or not. But as soon as he brought the mic to his lips to answer, the theme to Neville's titantron went off, and the United States Champion made his appearance.

"I cannot believe what I'm hearing out of the two of you," the Man That Gravity Forgot said when he got to the ring. There was a noticeable height difference between the three men, as Neville stood at five-foot-eight while the other two were well over six feet tall. "Roman, have you forgotten what they've done to this company? To Dean? To you? They dropped Seth Rollins as soon as he wasn't useful to them anymore, and they hand-picked and groomed him – they'll do it to you, too! They're a poison, and they always have been. We need to think of a game plan to get rid of them and take back the power."

"The Authority isn't my enemy," Roman said as he shook his head, laughing to himself. "I'm sick of being run into the ground; this is best for business and for myself. That's what actually counts."

"You really want to do that? And turn your back on all these people who have paid to see you? Who love you?"

Roman stared at Neville as if he were looking right through him. "You just don't get it, Neville. The crowd has always loved you; you've never had to worry about a damn thing, so I don't want to hear your judgment." He had a voice that could kill, reminiscent of the low, growly one he had whilst in the Shield.

"Easy, big guy…" The two champions stood in front of each other, staring one another down. The tension grew but it had to snap eventually. "You want to keep living in ignorance and blame everyone else for your inadequacies? Be my guest. Drown in your self-despair for all I care."

"That's my brother you're talking to," Dean interrupted, cutting in between them and putting his hand on Neville's chest to push him back. "You better watch it, Tiny."

Roman smiled in response as Dean looked back at him. "I don't trust The Authority, but I trust you. I'm in." Neville snorted and shook his head, knowing well enough that he wasn't going to get anywhere with these two guys. He began to turn away but quicker than a feline did he spin around and kick Roman in the gut. Titles dropped to the mat as all three men began to fight, 'Ambreigns' quickly gaining the upper hand before tossing the United States Champion outside the ring.

Roman picked up a microphone. "You stand alone… there's not a damn person in that locker room who wants to help you. Go home, Neville."

Neville found his way back to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, looking up at the two men in the ring with a disappointed and rather angry expression.

The sound of ambulance sirens suddenly peaked all three men's and the audience's attention.

"What?!" Jerry Lawler yelled into his headset.

"Why, that's… that's Cesaro!" Michael Cole said. "The Swiss Superman has returned from shoulder surgery; ladies and gentlemen, he had been out since mid-November of last year!"

"Neville," Cesaro said. "I'll stand with you."

With a dark grey towel over his head and red Beats over his ears, Cesaro had made his triumphant return, and he walked down the ramp to help Neville stand up. They were now evenly matched, and Neville and Cesaro started to enter the ring.

"Congratulations, Neville; you found yourself a partner," said Dean. "What, are the two of you gonna save the day all by yourselves? I'd love to see you try." He dropped the mic and slugged Cesaro across the face before tackling him to the ground. Upon seeing this, Neville jumped at Roman, utilizing his quickness to execute a DDT, though he countered and powerbombed the high flyer into the mat. The four men brawled, and all hell broke lose.

Just then, white pyro went off while white lines shined down at the titantron, and out came the former NXT Champion, Finn Bálor. The audience exploded into cheers; they weren't expecting to see their NXT darling tonight.

Finn appeared and stayed at the top of the ramp for a moment, locking eyes with his former partners. They both stared back, not with bewilderment but with confusion. He looked out toward the audience, gauging their reaction to him in a way before dashing and entering the squared circle and utilizing his long legs to hit an enzuigiri to the back of Reigns's head in order to separate him from Neville. The crowd kept chanting Finn's name over and over again, and he never felt more alive than in that moment.

Roman slid out of the ring with Dean and the titles in their hands and they walked backward to the ramps, staring angrily to the men in the ring. Finn grabbed a mic from one of the officials.

"You two called me for help at Night of Champions if you remember," he said breathlessly. "Have you lost your minds in those seven months while I was back down in NXT? We were friends, the three of us! And now The Authority brainwashed you two into being their sheep…what happened to you?"

Roman found a mic. "I woke up, Finn. We both did."

Bálor looked at Ambrose, hoping to get through to one of them. "Dean, listen to me. Don't follow Roman into The Authority. Please. You're better than this; you're a champion now and have been since Fastlane. Don't give them more power than they already have."

"Bálor, you think you can tell me right from wrong after just leaving NXT? Who the hell do you think you are, kiddo? You let yourself get run over by the likes of Samoa Joe, and then couldn't even take your championship back," Dean responded.

"I did what I had to in order to survive!" He took a step back, trying to not let his fiery temper get to him, no matter how infuriating those words of his were. There was nothing that could be said to turn them back, and he knew this. "You know the two of you used to know a thing or two about justice, and yet look at you now. Hypocrites."

Ambrose took a few steps forward to get back to the ring – Bálor's words striking a nerve with him – but Reigns stopped him in time.

"You're a fool, Bálor, and you know nothing of what's to come," Reigns said, throwing the mic to the side. The two brothers left the ramp to go backstage, choosing to fight a battle another day, while the three men remained in the ring. 'Ambreigns' and The Authority wasn't the only alliance created that night, and Neville and Cesaro held up Finn's arms to both symbolize their new friendship and to properly welcome him to the roster, which the crowd very much took accustom to. They shouted his name continuously, and Finn let it wash over him like a wave. He could still hear them chanting in his ears even after he returned to the locker room. He made the right decision coming here.

Finn made it back to the locker room after the show was over, his body shaking from the adrenaline. His first time out there, and he knew he would be going against the biggest evil in the company; this was his place now. He got dressed in normal clothes and decided to quickly check his phone after feeling it buzz in his pocket. He had to be off to the next city within the next few minutes, but something told him to check his phone.

It was a text message from Bayley.

' _I'm so proud of you'_ was all it said. His heart fluttered in a way he couldn't explain, and he couldn't stop staring at the message. He thought of her smiling face in that moment, and realized that there was something that was missing here on the Main Roster. It was her.

' _I miss you already.'_

* * *

 **Leave a review, friends! And remember that the line between reality and kayfabe is blurred ;) _  
_**


	5. Chapter 5: Discovery

The Demon Inside Me

Chapter Five: Discovery

' _I'm so proud of you.'_

A text message so simple, sent from one friend to another, but for some reason, it stopped the former NXT Champion in his tracks. He couldn't explain exactly what it was that made him stare at it for a good minute, but there was something there, and he couldn't get it out of his mind. He heard it in her voice, such a pleasant one to listen to. But she wasn't there in person, and Finn wouldn't know the next time he would see her face-to-face; it became much more of a bother to him every time he thought about it. The babyface women up on the Main Roster needed Bayley and fast, and even though she said that she wanted to keep the Women's Championship for as long as possible, Finn personally hoped that she would lose it soon… As selfish as he knew that thought was, he tried to justify it as "the division needs her" even if he really just wanted her around. Both were reasons. Without that championship to hold her back, she certainly had no reason to stay down in NXT. She was ripe for a call-up; she was ready any day now.

By the time April came to a close, the women were quickly being dominated by a growing all-female stable that consisted of Nikki and Brie Bella, Paige, and Alicia Fox, a new alliance created back at the end of January in a backstage segment. Nikki came back from her neck injury to reform Team Bella, but also decided to recruit Paige as she was still fuming over her many losses against her former teammates. Together, the four ladies interfered with the other women's matches; Natalya was constantly a victim, Becky was constantly a victim, Charlotte once, Sasha, Summer Rae… Charlotte didn't want to do a damn thing about it after losing her precious championship, seeing only her perspective, and left her former best friend, Becky Lynch to be beaten again and again by this stable; with that being said, they hadn't spoken since Fast Lane, where Charlotte beat Becky for the Divas Championship for the second time in a row. Sasha Banks, the new WWE Divas Champion, was never a stranger to standing up to her enemies, but after a split in Team BAD back in March, every time that she tried to defend herself against them since, Naomi and Tamina would come out to attack her and leave her to be further brutalized. Sasha always started off dominant and could handle the likes of Paige and Foxy easily, but once her former friends came around, the numbers game always won. After the end of every beat down, the four ladies would line up in front of their victim and raise each others' hands high in the air for the camera, asserting their dominance over the division.

"So as you all may have noticed, our team has found itself a new member," Nikki Bella said one night on Smackdown in the second week of February with a wide smile on her red lips. "Team Bella has gone through a bit of a makeover and a rebirth, with the addition of Paige and my glorious comeback from such a difficult injury… so I'd like to put the division on notice. We are taking back what is rightfully ours - our places at the top - and we have risen from the ashes. We are no longer just 'Team Bella,' no… the four of us, we're the Phoenix. Nobody here has the fire that we do; not a Superstar, and certainly not a Diva."

"I keep getting the same question over and over again…" Paige said after Nikki was finished with her speech, one that was greeted with nothing but boos from the crowd. "Why would I join Team Bella after all we've been through last year? You guys begged me not to, but I've had it with everybody here. Charlotte relies far too much on her daddy to get recognition around here - did you know that she's the daughter of two-time Hall of Famer, Ric Flair?" The four ladies began to laugh. "Becky cared far too much about her friendship with Charlotte and preferred to be her little lapdog and took abuse instead up for herself, but by the time she finally got guts, she just couldn't measure up to the 'Dirtiest Diva in the Game.' Meanwhile, Sasha and her squad are beginning to fall apart, so there goes their 'UNITTY!' What hypocrites; they preach about sticking together while Naomi and Tamina would rather leave Sasha to fight her own battles instead of being a single unit like they're supposed to be. But then again, they're not relevant so whatever. Natalya, the Queen of Harts, she faded back into the void yet again! Oh wait, no one cares about her. Silly me for forgetting but that's what happens when you're a snooze. And throughout all of this chaos, there has been one team that actually stayed stagnant and together…and right now, I call them my teammates. There's your answer. This team, Phoenix, didn't destroy this division; everybody else destroyed it themselves."

"Basically, you can either get with us, or you'll suffer the consequences," added Foxy. "Charlotte, your days as Divas Champion are coming to an end…and it's coming right home to the current Longest Reigning Divas Champion, and the absolute best champion that this company has EVER seen!"

A Battle Royale in March determined a Number One Contender to Charlotte's championship, and it included nine women: Natalya, Tamina, Naomi, every member of 'Phoenix,' Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch. After fifteen minutes, the two women left in the ring were Nikki and the Boss herself, Sasha, and they had their moment of staring down one another. Nikki used a vicious forearm, Sasha turned around and utilized a backstabber. Sasha was just about to throw Bella out of the ring to become the contender, only to have Brie Bella jump onto the apron and use her own forearm against her. Nikki was safe, and Sasha fell backward. The twins high-fived each other as Nikki went back to taking control of the match. Nikki was preparing to return the favor to the Boss by throwing her out, but Tamina decided to Superkick the former champion. Both contenders were safe, by the grace of the no disqualifications rule. Naomi entered the ring, and her and Tamina decided to Suplex Bella as an ensemble in order to help their Team BAD member. Sasha smiled, and the three ladies joined their hands, shouting out 'unitty!' to remind everybody how much they were a team…only for Naomi to clothesline Sasha a second later. The once united group finally snapped after months of hinting. Tamina propped Sasha up on her shoulders, let out a roar, and dropped her in a Samoan Drop. The two slipped out of the ring and smiled at their former friend, waving and laughing at her dismay as she looked up at them in confusion and with a tinge of anger.

"We're here, too!" shouted Naomi. "We made you, Sasha! Never forget that!"

They disappeared backstage, but there were still two women left in the squared circle. Nikki didn't eliminate Sasha, and Sasha didn't eliminate Nikki…yet. They were weakened, but as they crawled slowly toward each other, they grabbed each other's hands, pushing into one another so they could rise. They were up on one knee, then one foot, and soon they were grappling. Nikki brought her in to a hold with her arm around Sasha's head, but Sasha managed to push her off quickly, though she dropped back down to one knee after having taken so much abuse. Bella took advantage of the moment by grabbing Sasha by her long red hair and banging it once against her knee, snapping the Boss backward. She lay flat on the ring, unmoving. Bella smiled and raised her finger high in the air, parading around her newest victim and priding herself in her power. She then wrapped her hands around Banks' knees as she picked her up, thinking of Alabama Slamming her out of the ring in order to become the newest contender. Charlotte vs Nikki III was on its way, and Sasha was showing no signs of life. The audience booed, unhappy with the idea that they would see Nikki that much closer to the title, even daring to chant 'No! No!' on repeat.

"Bank on this, Sasha!" Nikki teased as she went to throw the petite warrior over the top rope, but just as she tossed her over, Sasha's legs that were around Bella's head clamped down, and both ladies went over. Sasha hit the apron as her powerful legs flipped Bella into a Frankensteiner so she was the one hitting the mat. The Boss slid under the ropes and rolled her way to the center of the ring, her feet never touching the ground, finally able to enjoy her shining moment as the bell rang with the crowd erupting into cheers. Bella on the outside sat against the barricade with her hands in her hair, complete shock written across her face. Even with the betrayal of her team, Sasha overcame the odds and became the new Number One contender to Charlotte's title. And rightfully deserved. The celebration was short-lived as the former champion came back into the ring, adrenaline and wrath flowing through her veins, and terrorized the new contender. She slammed her face into the turnbuckles, elbowed her in head, and finished the attack off with a Rack Attack, leaving Sasha alone in the ring, battered and beaten, but not broken.

Wrestlemania came on Sunday, April 3, and after nine months of being on the Main Roster, Sasha Banks captured the Divas Championship near the end of the show in front of a record 100,000 people, all of whom couldn't be happier with how it turned out. The Divas Championship, after about eight years of existence, was finally being defended for the second time on the grandest stage of them all, but for the first time, it was won. The WWE Universe came together to celebrate the dawning of a new era with the Boss at the forefront, but while there was happiness in the air, she had to prepare herself for the future… Phoenix still existed, and they were going to wreak havoc starting with her.

Every Raw and Smackdown had at least one Women's match; sometimes they were lucky enough to get two. The audience would see NXT darlings such as Becky Lynch or Charlotte Flair, or a veteran like Natalya get screen time. With the rise of Phoenix, the other talent couldn't get much time to fight for their matches would get interrupted at some point during the match, and they were getting the beat down of their lives. No one was safe.

Sasha and Becky were in the middle of a five star match a week after she won the Divas Championship on Raw, but just as Sasha was about to hit Becky with the backstabber that preceded the Bank Statement, Paige and Foxy snuck into the ring and attacked them both. The Bella Twins, after the two ladies were laid out, came out to the ramp with microphones in hand, laughing and smiling with pride at their girls.

"Congratulations on winning the title, Sasha!" Brie said. "Take this as our gift to you; we're so proud of you and all that you've accomplished here."

Nikki laughed. "That's right. When I was Divas Champion, I had to face the entire division by myself, and I was woman enough to handle the job. I did it day in and day out every single night, and I became the longest reigning Divas Champion of ALL time. Charlotte couldn't stop me, and neither of you could either, and the three of you are supposed to be three of the Four Horsewomen of NXT! You're supposed to be the saviors of this Divas Division, and yet look how easily we just beat you two. Heh, and unlike Team BAD, Sasha…Phoenix is actually Beautiful and Dangerous."

Paige and Foxy joined their teammates at the ramp, proud of their work, before the stable left the scene.

"Bye, champ." Nikki dropped the mic.

Becky and Sasha looked at each other fuming, bruises all over their bodies, and shook their heads in unison. Both ladies had to grab the ropes to pull themselves back upright before uneasily walking to one another; the crowd had willed them on as they tried to stand. The timekeeper had thrown a microphone into the ring and Becky picked it up, wincing as she moved.

"Those girls are a menace, and have been ever since their little leader, Nikki, got back," she said, Sasha nodding in response. She looked more-or-less annoyed. "I know you and I, we've had our differences in the past, but Sasha, if they can form a team, maybe we should, too." Becky stuck her hand out for her former friend to shake. "Charlotte abandoned me, and Naomi and Tamina abandoned you; how about you and me get together and kick some lass?"

She hesitated at first, her eyes going from Becky's hand to her eyes, testing to see if she was being sincere. Sasha took a step forward before taking her fellow Horsewoman's hand and nodded her head. "They want a war? Fine, they got one," Sasha said into the microphone, clearly pissed off. "You and me, Becky, once again. It's about time that we retire that team and get some damn respect once and for all. They should've known better than to mess with the Boss of the WWE…and the Lass Kicker."

But four against two still posed a threat to the recently reunited alliance. They needed somebody else to join them, and some of the other ladies felt defeated from this dominance. Their options were low already; they couldn't have the men fight their battles, and who else could they turn to in the locker room?

Bayley was the answer, but she wasn't here to help…not yet at least. This dystopia in the Women's Division justified Finn's own reasoning to want to bump Bayley up to the Main Roster as soon as possible, right? He saw a place for her, and even if he wasn't champion anymore, he still wanted to help his fellow wrestlers - especially when one of the involved people was one of his good friends, Becky - in any way that he possibly could; it was his nature to be helpful. She did miss her close friends after all….but she also has a leadership opportunity back in NXT that betters herself as a wrestler. The longer she waits, the more amazing she'll be when she finally swoops in to save the day. With all that in mind, how long could Becky and Sasha hold out as a tag team? Sasha was the Divas Champion, yes, and Becky was about as tough as they come, however, two against four was worrisome, and 'Phoenix' was clearly no push over. One wrong move, and they were finished. If only Charlotte could help, but she wasn't ready to see things their way yet after losing her championship. Like it or not, the two women needed Charlotte, and soon; anything to even the odds. After all, Charlotte had made Nikki tap with the Figure Eight for the championship, not once but twice. Sasha made Nikki tap in non-title matches, along with Paige with the Bank Statement. Becky made Foxy and Brie tap with the Dis-Arm-Her on many different occasions. If the three of them were able to team up, they would be that much closer to destroying Phoenix once and for all.

But Becky couldn't bring herself to trust Charlotte after all she had done. As Finn came backstage from his own segment, he overheard the two former NXT darlings chatting in the hallway and decided to snoop.

"Sasha, no," said Becky.

"Becky, it can't be just the two of us," replied Sasha.

"But why does it have to be Charlotte? What about Natalya?"

"They're not gonna let Natalya join us; you know how the higher ups feel about her. It has to be Charlotte; there's nobody else. I would have said Naomi and Tamina but for as much as I know, they're now aligning with Phoenix!" Sasha growled to herself, the sting of the betrayal of her former teammates still fresh. "Look, do you want to take them out or not?"

"Of course, I do. There's nothing more that I want than for them to be destroyed right now. I'd do it myself if I could."

"Then you'll understand why we have to have Charlotte on our side."

"She stabbed me in the back, Sasha! She played me like a fiddle for months! And now you're expecting me to play nice with her?"

"I'm not asking you to play nice; I'm asking you to be a team player." Sasha was authoritative, and it was hard not to listen to her. "I don't exactly fancy the idea of teaming with her either after taking her championship for the second time, but we need to take back the order. We are Horsewomen for a reason, and we need to start creating our own team. It's the only way to win; it's together or not at all."

"Alright, alright… but how will we convince her to join us? And how do we know she won't betray us down the line?"

"You and I both know Charlotte better than anyone in this business, Becky… Besides, she doesn't fit in with Phoenix, so it won't be like she has another option to turn to. But if she tries something… I trust you'll be the one to end her."

It was the end of April, and these two women needed help fast.

Finn thought about their situation admittedly more than he probably should have, but back down at NXT, he had the time to think about what was happening with the other wrestlers, especially the women. He was still thinking like a champion, watching over his fellow man with a careful eye, but this was the Main Roster now; he shouldn't care so much about a storyline that didn't include him. He had his own hell to combat, and that was what he truly needed to concern himself with. He had a whole new audience to get accustomed to, and new opponents to plan for; right now, what was truly important was proving himself, whether it be to Vince McMahon, The Authority, his allies, or even just the casual viewer.

With all that being said, he couldn't help himself, at least for one last minute. He boarded an airplane after Raw at the end of April, placing headphones in his ears and leaning his head against the window. Just as they began to climb into the sky, his eyes fluttered shut with one last thought going through his mind: 'I wish you were here, Bayley.'

Once Finn made it to the arena on April 26, 2016 for Smackdown, it was game time. He had been on the Main Roster for about a month now, and he, Neville, and Cesaro made very little progress in fighting against the Authority. The stress and the pressure was on, especially for Finn.

"You're new, Bálor, so you don't know how things are run around here," Triple H had said to him on April 11 - Monday Night Raw - Bálor's mind thinking that segment. Finn was in the center of the ring ready to fight against an unannounced opponent when Triple H came out by himself, saying that he 'always respected him' and 'enjoyed watching him on NXT,' but that 'wasn't the reason why' he was there. "You want to help old NXT friends? Be my guest; that's your prerogative. But here's the difference between the WWE and NXT; up here, there are consequences for your actions, especially for when you want to defy your boss. And since not everybody in the audience knows who you are, let's give them that chance." He smiled that cheesy, Triple H grin as he leaned forward to further explain. "You'll get your match tonight. In fact, you'll get a match guaranteed every Raw and Smackdown between today and Extreme Rules on May 1 - only on the WWE Network. But you know, I'm just not satisfied with simply handing you matches; you need a reason to keep fighting and to keep winning. So Finn, if you lose any of your seven matches, I will send you back to NXT, and you will never be called back up here -" Finn remembered the dismay of the crowd upon hearing this news while his heart skipped a beat and his body shuddered in response. "- and your buddies, Neville and Cesaro, will be out of a job. But I'm sure you will have no trouble winning every single match. Think twice next time before you try to challenge us. If there's a next time." Hunter slowed his speech to emphasize 'every single match.' He finished his speech by saying: "Oh, just so everybody is clear on things, if Neville or Cesaro try to come out to help you in any of your matches, consider yourself a permanent resident of NXT," before laughing at his own genius and leaving the scene. The Cerebral Assassin just struck, snaking his way inside the head of his once precious NXT 'child.'

Finn made it this far, winning five out of his seven matches, but by no means were they easy feats to accomplish. His first match was against four-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Sheamus, a fellow Irishman. He knew this man well, having previously fought against him and winning, and yet he was still winded afterward. Standing at six-foot-six, two-hundred-and-sixty-seven pounds, Sheamus was nothing but muscle, and he hit hard. Then it was Rusev that Finn had to beat, another big, meaty fellow who also packed a punch. An interference by Lana made Finn nearly lose the match; he only got the pinfall through a small package. Then it was the likes of Alberto Del Rio, whose top rope enzuigiri kicks were second to none; Finn nearly fell on his head after taking a hit from one. There was also Tyler Breeze, a man he had fought time and time again back on NXT; the two of them had a history of beating one another down, especially when it came to the NXT Championship that Finn had ultimately won. Lastly on Monday, he faced Big Show; while he was a large opponent with a dangerous Knock Out Punch that awaited him at every turn, it took a few rope-grip enzuigiri kicks and a final Coup de Grâce to finish him. Tonight, Bálor faced Mark Henry. All he had to do was get through this match, and an unknown at Extreme Rules, and that would be the end of his 'punishment.' He, Cesaro, and Neville would be free if he could just get through this.

"Hey, Bálor," Neville said, breaking Finn's focus; Finn had been in the locker room area and was slowly tying white tape over his wrists and fingers when the Man That Gravity Forgot entered the room. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he responded, not looking at him. Neville stayed behind him and seemed almost nervous as he had been for the past few weeks. He had no doubt that Finn could pull through, but when it came to the Authority, he had a sunken feeling in the pit of his stomach; they were notorious for their shenanigans. "Not too many matches left."

"No matter what happens, Fergal, I appreciate what you've done. I didn't mean for you to get stuck with the dirty work." This caught Finn off-guard; how long had it been since he was called his birth name? Bálor sighed; he didn't want to be called that here.

"Don't worry about it, …Ben."

"There's no pressure. Just do what you can. Cesaro and I have the utmost faith in you. And if the Authority interferes, make sure the ref sees it."

The demon inside Bálor began to stir. Finn's head twitched as he cracked his neck and sighed. "I know what to do, Neville," he said a little bit rudely.

"…sorry. I get nervous with these matches."

"I'm the one that's got to worry about them," Finn snapped, the demon forcing him to stand up and turn around to face Neville. "Lay off." His eyes were wild as his eyebrows pointed and his face tensed. Neville was taken aback from this strange harshness from his once gentle friend; he wasn't cracking under pressure, was he? After a moment, Finn blinked and shook his head, surprised at his own actions. "…sorry about that. Just a little bit stressed." He mouthed the words: 'that never happened before' to himself as he felt his stomach twist.

"…I understand. It hasn't exactly been easy for you," Neville said as he took a few steps back. "I'll see you around. Good luck, mate." And with that, he was gone.

'What the hell was that?' Finn thought to himself. He never lashed out at one of his friends like that before; if he were annoyed with someone, he took it out to the ring with him and fought it out. Where did this anger come from?

Finn prepared himself in the gorilla position before his match. He came out first, and then the World Strongest Man.

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall," said Eden Stiles, the Smackdown ring announcer. "Introducing first, from Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, weighing in at one-hundred-and-ninety pounds. Finn Bálor!" The crowd announced their glee for the man before letting Eden continue. "And his opponent, from Silsbee, Texas, weighing in at three-hundred-and-ninety-nine pounds, Mark Henry!"

'Channel your anger, Finn…' He thought to himself.

The bell rang, and immediately Bálor jumped forward to start attacking, banging his forearm against Henry's head. Henry staggered back a step or two, but the man did not fall; instead, he was able to push Bálor away, forcing space between the two as the former NXT Champion slammed against his back, flipped over, and landed on his face. It was all too easy for the World's Strongest Man. Finn propped himself up on his elbows, a little stunned at the sheer power of Mark Henry. The man himself stared at Bálor for a moment before grabbing his head, making him stand on his own two feet, and shoving him into the turnbuckles so he could climb up to the second ropes and hit him from above. Half the crowd counted the number of punches Henry delivered while the other half yelled "no!" with every punch. After the tenth hit, Finn slowly began to slide down until he was practically sitting on the floor, a bit dazed. Henry eventually let him be to antagonize the crowd a little bit, raising his arms outward as he embraced the oncoming boos. He returned to the corner, his enormous hands grabbing Finn by the throat and raising him to his feet, Finn's head somewhat spinning. Mark let one his hands free and slapped it hard against Finn's bare chest, a large red handprint immediately present. Finn let out a yelp as he felt the hit tremble down his body. Again Mark hit him in the same place, and again, and again, and again, a total of five times. Finn's skin was not only red but now it became bruised; Mark released his grip on him, and he fell straight into his arms. It was all too easy for Henry to just pick him up and hold him way over his head, Finn being over seven feet in the air before being dropped from that height and landing right on his face. Immediately he flopped like a fish out of water, the pain radiating from his entire front side. Mark shook his head as he grabbed Finn by the back of the neck and threw him back into the corner turnbuckles.

"Come on, big man," Mark said, grabbing his throat again. "You can do so much better than this."

" _You can do so much better than this"_ rang in Bálor's ears; those words were once uttered by the Submission Specialist, Samoa Joe, in their rematch, and for some reason, it startled him. His pupils dilated, his heart started to beat faster, and adrenaline sped through his veins. Something deep within him woke up as he could feel his pulse in his ears and his cheeks, his body trembling as he felt this sudden power stir within him. Only when he unleashed the demon did he feel this way, but for some reason it was coming out now without the theatrics of his body paint; something had changed within him, and all he could think about was winning.

Finn stared at Mark with wide blue eyes for a moment, a devilish grin growing on his lips as he slammed his head against Henry's forehead and using his leg power to reach up to hit him in the head. The World's Strongest Man stepped back a bit, surprised by this sudden burst of energy and even released his grip on him, but that didn't stop him. Henry glared at Bálor before knocking his forearm into his opponent's face. Bálor returned to the corner, his chest against the turnbuckles as Henry, rather quickly, wrapped his arms around Finn's waist and threw him overhead in a German Suplex. Finn appeared to have landed harshly on the back of his neck, his hands immediately caressing it. Henry snorted and bent down to go for a pin, however Finn was quicker; as soon as Henry stepped in front of him, Finn stood and utilized a European Uppercut, and then a Tornado Enzuigiri, his foot stunning Mark immediately and dropping him to one knee. With him momentarily uneasy, Finn took the time to hit the ropes to gain momentum, running at Henry before hitting him in the chest with a Front Drop Kick. Just like that, he was laid out for the count. Quickly gaining the upper hand, Finn took Mark by the head, the adrenaline allowing him the strength to force him on his feet - much as Henry did to him in the beginning of the match - and lifting the nearly four-hundred pound man in the air for a never-before-seen - on the Main Roster, that is - Bloody Sunday. Henry's back slammed against the mat, and immediately Finn went for the pin.

"One, two, three!" In what was surely a strange twist of events, the audience just saw a side of Finn Bálor that even he didn't know he had in this form. There was a multitude of cheers for the Irishman, but for him to have won so quickly was an absolute shock as well. Finn stayed in the ring for a minute, leaning on his knees as he tried to clear his vision. As his heart slowed down, his vision became clear again, and laying across from him was Mark Henry. The last thing that he remembered was being knocked into a corner and beaten down by this man, but now he lay unmoving in front of him. Was the match over already? Did he win?

Bálor was left to ponder the events of what just happened for only a second; the COO of the WWE decided to pay him a visit, and this time he was not alone. The Intercontinental Champion and the WWE World Heavyweight Champion - Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, respectively - decided to tag along, each with microphones in hand.

"Congratulations, Bálor," said Ambrose. "You beat a total of six people, and the people still love you. You're a hero!" The sarcasm was strong in his voice, and Finn could only look up at him with a look of confusion.

"Yes, congratulations, Finn," said Triple H. "Now, all you need is your opponent for Extreme Rules, and today is your lucky day. See, I could have made you wait until the day of, but for putting on such an…interesting match, I decided to cut you a bit of a break; I'm a nice guy after all." He smiled.

Both Dean and Roman began to slowly walk toward the ring and slowly stalked the perimeter, trapping the exhausted man in a way that felt reminiscent to their Shield days. All that was missing was Seth Rollins.

"Gee, you've faced a good chunk of our allies, Finn," said Roman. "I wonder who you could possibly face… What do you think, Dean? Could his opponent be, perhaps… his old buddy, Sami Zayn?"

"Surely he can't face his friend…but no, that would be way too easy for him," Dean said, smirking as his blue eyes stared at Finn as if he were prey. "Roman, tell me… is it Samoa Joe? Everyone here knows he can't beat him to save his skin…"

Roman shook his head but chuckled under his breath. "That's a great guess, Deano… but luckily for Finny boy, that's not his opponent."

The boys slipped into the ring from under the ropes, creeping toward Finn who had not moved since the end of the match. He didn't know who to look at, as Dean was on his right and Roman to his left. The only thing he could possibly feel at the moment was just pure exhaustion; he was seconds away from passing out.

"I don't think the poor lad can handle all the suspense, Roman… throw him a bone here."

Roman crawled his way until he was a few steps away from Finn, then stood up and looked down on him. "Your opponent on Sunday…is me." Like two snakes, 'Ambreigns' went in for the attack and starting beating and humiliating the former NXT Champion. They grabbed the back of his neck and shoved it to the mat, rubbing his face in it for a good minute, Finn's face beginning to burn. They let him go only to kick him further into the mat, his back becoming just as red as his chest was, before Dean picked him up. Once Finn was steadily on his feet, Roman let out a roar and speared him back down. The blunt force sent the two men back a few feet. Roman ran his hand through his hair, and picked Bálor up again, this time for Dean, who hooked his arms under Finn's. Roman let go and backed off, and Dean sent Bálor's head into the mat with Dirty Deeds.

He couldn't move anymore. Finn was laid out and 'Ambreigns' stood over his body, laughing at what they did to him.

"See you on Sunday, Finny," Roman said, throwing his microphone on Finn's back, Dean simply throwing it over his shoulder as the two men left the ring. The last thing Finn heard was the booing of the crowd.

Referees had to come help him up. He felt a cool compress against his forehead, waking him up almost immediately, and he noticed he was still in the middle of the ring. Finn's body still ached, even more so after the aftermath had ceased. As referees gently took his arms and helped get him back on his feet, he heard the crowd chanting his name and even clapping.

"Finn! Are you still with us?" The familiar voice of Cesaro greeted the former NXT Champion as soon as he left the ring. He opened his eyes and saw Cesaro and even Neville, concerned expressions written all over their faces. Finn nodded in response, feeling uncertain about the quality of his voice at that moment.

"Here, we can take you back to the locker room," Neville said to the referees; both men replaced them and very smoothly brought him to the back.

Once they were safely out of sight from the crowd, Finn had to say something. "Something happened in the match tonight…" His voice was weak and cracked slightly, but he was understandable.

"What do you mean?" asked Cesaro.

"I think I blacked out… I don't remember beating Henry at all…" Cesaro and Neville looked at each other. "It felt like the demon took over, but I wasn't in paint."

"You looked fine out there," said Neville. "You just…really kicked his arse at the end."

"Do you remember what happened after the match?" Cesaro asked, letting Finn sit on a bench in the locker room.

"I remember that perfectly. Dean and Roman beating me down… I couldn't do a damn thing about it."

"You just need to take it easy for a few days, clear your head. You're exhausted, Bálor," said Cesaro.

Finn nodded. Maybe that was it. Maybe he was just imagining things. Maybe the demon didn't escape him after all and he just… 'channeled' his anger.

May 2, 2016, Extreme Rules. Finn's match was in the middle of the card. His body was recovering well, and he tried to forget about what happened on Smackdown; he could do this. He hadn't even felt that overwhelming feeling in the pit of his stomach since that match, so to him, that was a sign that he was okay. All he had to do now was to just get through this one last match, and then he and his friends would be safe.

Finn came out first, and entered the ring, taking off his leather jacket and giving it to the referee. His blue eyes were fixated on the titantron, focusing and thinking of the many ways that he could strike Roman down and make him feel every ounce of pain that he felt. Champion or not, Finn didn't care.

Roman's theme hit, and for some unique reason, he decided to come out from the main entrance instead of from above. He walked out with his championship in hand before stopping in front of the ramps, looking at the crowd and smirking confidently at them, and throwing his precious championship over his right shoulder. He walked with a particular swagger and slipped into the ring; with both hands, he looked at the camera and held up the WWE World Heavyweight Championship high above his head, his lips curled into a certain smile as if he already knew the outcome of the match. Finn's face was unbreakable as he gazed over at his opponent while Roman couldn't help but laugh. This skinny Irishman thought that he stood a chance against the Samoan Thor; was he out of his damn mind? But Finn had no doubt; he didn't need to go the route of the demon to stand toe-to-toe with him. Not tonight, and not that way.

"The following contest is scheduled for one-fall," said Lilian Garcia, the ring announcer. "Introducing first, from Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, weighing in at one-hundred-and-ninety pounds, Finn Bálor!" He remained focused on Roman instead of acknowledging the audience. "And his opponent, from Pensacola, Florida, weighing in at two-hundred-and-sixty-five pounds, he is the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Roman Reigns!" Roman looked right back at Finn and raised his chin so his eyes could look down upon his challenger. The bell rang, and neither man jumped forward for the initial move. It was hard to believe that they were just allies back in September, a mere eight months ago. The two men circled each other, Finn very light on his feet but kept his arms up as a form of defense. Roman was very relaxed on the other hand, just waiting the moment where Finn came to him so he could strike. The gap between them quickly began to close, and soon they were grappling. The champion laughed as Finn struggled to push back; Roman gave him a few moments before easily being able to shove him in a corner. He laughed at the struggle and the marvelousness of his own power.

"You like this?" Roman said to the crowd, slapping the palm of his hand against Finn's chest. Finn yelped and brushed past his opponent, crouching over much the way wrestlers do when they take a chop. Roman stalked him for a moment, creeping closer and closer until there wasn't much distance between them, just the way Finn wanted it. Once the champion got close enough, Finn jumped backward and swung his foot into Roman's head for the Pelé kick. It caught him off guard, but the move wasn't enough to do much damage. Finn made it back to his feet, and the two men stared each other down once again.

The Samoan Thor pointed his index finger at the former NXT Champion and with it, told him to come hither. "Come on, champ," he said. "Oh wait, that's right…you're not one anymore." Bálor's eyes squinted into a glare as he leaped froward. The battle finally began.

The two men stuck it out like a couple of warriors; Bálor had stiff enzuigiri kicks, and his weight allowed him more flexibility to unleash maneuvers like the tope con hilo and moonsaults, while Reigns responded with more powerful moves such as the running powerbomb and German Suplex. Ten minutes, fifteen minutes all past, and neither men wanted to give into the other. While Reigns was surprised that Bálor had the stamina to keep fighting against him for so long, he kept his cool. Reigns remained the man in control of the match, and he watched his opponent use the ropes, struggling to pull himself back up to his feet.

"Just give up, Finn," he said, forcing Finn to look him the eyes. "You're a loser. You don't belong on my turf up here; go back down to NXT and stay down there!" With surprising agility, Roman wrapped his arms around Bálor's ribcage and threw him overhead in a Belly-to-Belly suplex. Finn slammed hard and didn't move.

"This is it…" Jerry Lawler on commentary said. "It was nice to meet you, Finn!"

Reigns leisurely went for the pin as referee Charles Robinson began to count.

"One, two-!" At the very last minuscule of a second, Bálor found the strength to push out, even if it was just barely. Roman, frustrated at this pointed, tried to go for the pin, but failed at the two count as well. He stood up, making Finn do the same and pushed him toward the ropes. Finn's back hit against the ropes, but using its momentum, he jumped up in the air and landed a clothesline on Reigns, causing him to fall backward. Finn landed on his feet as Roman stood back up only for his opponent to hit him with the same clothesline, over and over. Finn brought Reigns to his feet this time and pushed him toward the ropes - Roman reversed it so Finn was the one hitting the ropes - but managed to bring him down with a Sling Blade, one of the smoothest he's ever executed in his whole career. He felt the roar of the crowd as well as his own heart racing in his chest, finally feeling the energy and the will to continue.

"Get up, Roman!" He yelled. The tides had turned and now it was time for Bálor to get an advantage, and no less over the Heavyweight Champion. Roman got up but Bálor was hitting him with double ax handles and drop kicks. It all staggered him, but it wasn't taking him down, so Finn had to elevate himself. He climbed to the top ropes as his opponent's back was turned to him and waited to strike. Roman turned toward him and with impressive agility, Finn was able to hit a missile drop kick, finally taking down the champion. As quickly as he could, he went for the pin.

"One, two-!" Roman kicked out, and Finn let out a deep sigh. What was it going to take?

He didn't have to worry; the lights went black in the following second along with the sound of the cutting of a record. A single lit lantern was held by a man in a red velvet cloak, a hood covering his face. He had two followers behind him, also with red velvet cloaks and hoods over their heads. They slowly made the way to the middle of the ramp, but moved no farther. The lights came back on and Finn's eyes were fixated on the cloaked men. Who were they? But as soon as he turned around, a heavily bearded man who wore a fedora on his head wrapped an arm around Bálor's neck, kissed his forehead, and slammed his face into the mat beside him. The bell rang immediately, and by DQ, Finn won the match. Roman left the ring with his championship in hand, shrugging his shoulders as if he were completely innocent in all this.

The man was Bray Wyatt, and by a technicality, he saved Finn and his friends. But this was so much more than just about saving these three men; no, this was a whole new atmosphere. Bálor's body gave out as Bray and his cloaked family gathered around him. Bray dropped to his knees, his face eerily happy, letting out a sickeningly loud laughter and throwing his head back. His arms reached outward beside him as he yelled his last few words:

"FOLLOW THE BUZZARDS."

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6: Monster

The Demon Inside Me  
Chapter Six: Monster

Bray Wyatt and his family; their paths were crossing yet again with the former NXT Champion after about eight long months.

' _Follow the buzzards.'_

The next night on Monday Night Raw, the show opened up with a few special guests - the Wyatt Family themselves. It had been so long since they last began the show, and they were going to make the most out of their and everyone's time. The scratching noise that was so iconic to the Family opened their segment as two lines of lit torches, carried by hooded men in brown cloaks, came out to fill in the perimeter of the ramp and the ring as they sang "Dies Irae," reminiscent of the Undertaker. He wanted to steal a certain aspect of the man who once inspired him to be a monster, to let the audience know that he still stole some of his powers. Their music hit, and Bray Wyatt appeared, wearing his usual outfit of black and red, the three other members of the Family behind him sporting their respective animal masks, Luke's face bare. They were greeted with the fireflies that came from the crowd, glowing white lights that helped illuminate the arena. The patriarch began to pace back and forth for a few seconds inside the ring before stopping and looking directly into the camera. The people in the crowd murmured amongst the themselves, curious to what he had to say.

"Do you feel a chill in the atmosphere tonight?" He smiled just as he always did, with a touch of creepiness. "He has returned to us after a period of eight months, ladies and gentlemen. When he stepped inside that ring across from me at Night of Champions with Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, I knew that one day, our paths would cross again. I felt that energy surrounding him, man… that darkness, that thirst for power, and that overwhelming desire to prove himself. And so, Lady Destiny whispered in my ear at that moment, advising me to keep his name and his face locked away in the back of my mind, for he would come back to us some time in the future. Now, that time has come, and he is here with us once again… The Authority did approach me and my family with selfish intentions; yes, it is true… however, it was we who carried out the plan. We had been given the opportunity to rectify a tired old soul that has come to roost…" He began to pace again, this time slowly and methodical with his eyes still so fixated on the camera. "Finn Bálor… I see you, man. I see the man that you present yourself as to the world, this hero type who always tries to do the right thing… but that is not who you are, man. No, there's the real you that I see within your belly that's scratching and clawing his way out of the prison that you've built for him. I see just how scared of him that you are, and you don't know what to do with him now that he's breaking free from your grasp. Well, I've got some news for you, Finn Bálor, he's on his way out as we speak. He's breaking free, slipping through the weaknesses of those stone walls of that prison designed for him, and seeping into your very veins! You no longer have control over your inner monster, but I, Bray Wyatt, Seducer, Accuser, The Man Of A Thousand Truths, can do what you cannot, and that is to release him once and for all! And with that freedom, you can finally be who you were truly meant to be, my son…" His voice started to become more insistent and urgent, speeding up the more he talked to the audience. "You and I, man, we aren't so different. We view the world in the same light. So, you can continue on and try to hide your true self, but realize that I can see right through you. I see you, and the more you hide, the better I can see! You cannot escape the eyes of me and my family; we see you, we smell you, and we hear the outcry of that demon inside of you that you try so very hard to bury but realize that you are not as strong as the world perceives you to be or that you think you are… You cannot be strong if you keep hiding so very deep within your own shadow." Bray began to laugh hysterically, throwing his head back and spreading his arms out like a pair of wings. His voice, raspy and strong, boomed into camera once more, just to make sure that the viewers could understand just who he is. "You must be warned… _I am_ the Apocalypse _. I am_ the monster hiding in closets and under the beds of children. _I am_ lingering in each and every single human being's nightmares. _I_ summon the thunder, _I_ summon the lightning, _I_ summon the darkness that sprouts and grows in this very universe! The light of your soul that once shined with the strength of a thousand suns is going to fade and be consumed by the malevolence that _I_ created, for _I_ _am_ Bray Wyatt, the New Face of Fear!" The four ring posts exploded, four bright and orange lights burning the air as the audio and visual cut out to that familiar scratching noise.

Finn himself remained in the locker room; he heard every word come to of Bray's big mouth, and now it was time for him to react. He had been called out, and he was sick of the disrespect that he had been given ever since he debuted on the Main Roster. First it was The Authority who put him through hell for a month, and now here comes the Wyatt Family, hoping to intimidate him and get inside his head. But there was no way in hell that a bunch of Duck Dynasty rejects from the swamps of Florida would get under his skin. They wanted anger? Well, they've got it; Finn was pissed. His body was aching, but that was nothing in comparison to the wrath he felt; there was yet another obstacle he had to get over on the Main roster, and he was only a little over five weeks in. He thought he was done proving himself.

Later that night, the Wyatt Family - Erick, Harper, and Braun - were facing Damien Sandow and the Usos, with Bray Wyatt watching the match on commentary.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special guest joining us at ringside tonight," said color commentator, Michael Cole. "He is the patriarch of the Wyatt Family, Bray Wyatt."

"Thank you for having me, Cole," Bray said with his relaxed yet raspy voice. "Now recently you and your family were caught in a bit of a scandal, specifically last night at Extreme Rules when you four attacked Finn Bálor during his match with WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Roman Reigns; can you explain your motives?"

"Michael Cole, now is not the time to be asking questions meant for an interview… you see, we already explained ourselves at the beginning of the show, and my brothers are out there having a match; I would appreciate it if you focused on them."

"You must admit you gave some pretty cryptic responses to the questions we all had."

"Then you are not ready to be asking those questions, Cole, if you do not understand the answers that I told the world." Bray didn't look at anyone on commentary; his eyes were fixed on the three men wreaking havoc inside the ring.

The Wyatts showed the WWE Universe the true meaning of domination; while they didn't "squash" the Usos and Sandow per se, they certainly didn't give them much time to breathe or react, either. Every time the Usos thought they had the Wyatts figured out and created a necessary moment of separation, one of them would quickly retaliate. Seven minutes into the match, Braun caught Jey in a bear hug, and that was it.

"Beware, Finn Bálor!" Bray Wyatt said as he entered the ring and stood over Jey for a brief moment - Jimmy Uso and Damien Sandow were outside near the barricades after being attacked from behind - before dropping to his knees with his hands outstretched to his sides and laughter pouring from his mouth. "We're coming for you, my son… RUN."

He could not escape the Wyatts; no matter how hard Finn tried to avoid, he would turn a corner, and there they would be…or so he would think. He could hear Bray's caught in the back of his head, loud, haunting, bone-chilling. He was real, with disciples following him closely at every second. Their loyalty was undeniable and unshakeable; there was no convincing Harper, Rowan, or Strowman otherwise. Every night out there for weeks, it was the same ordeal; Finn would be having a match, and just as it were getting toward the end, the Wyatts would show up to interfere. They never attacked in the same way, either; Bray had gone out there by himself to Sister Abigail him, they attacked as a whole unit, and they even went for whomever Finn's opponent was, pummeling them to give Finn the DQ victory only before ganging up on him in order to beat him to a near bloody pulp. He could feel himself becoming angrier, even unhinged at times, but that would be giving Bray what he wants. He had to keep cool; he had to stop the demon inside of him from stirring, no matter how progressively difficult it was becoming. Bray was wrong, and Finn had to prove it.

Finn was getting nowhere come the end of May. No one in the locker room dared to approach him; the threat of The Wyatt Family just around the corner still hung over their heads, and Finn was starting to snap at people for the most mundane things. Someone could slip up in their wording, and he wouldn't have it. Slowly but surely, he was becoming isolated and admittedly lonely; people barely wanted to be in the same room as him.

He needed rest. Anything to get his mind off of these delinquents. After Smackdown one night in Texas, he decided to traverse the street to the local bar and grab a drink. He didn't get much of an opportunity to have a beer in recent times, but tonight, he figured why not.

Finn sat at the bar, reading the Irish News on his phone as he sipped a Guinness. Even with all the people talking around him, this was the most relaxed he'd been in a long time; the occasional fan would recognize and see him, thus asking for a photo or autograph. He was happy to do so; those were people who were supporting him and his profession, so this was the least he could do in return. They were quite polite, anyway; he couldn't say no.

He was about halfway done with his beer when he heard a voice calling for him.

"Finn!" That voice. His heart skipped a beat; he knew who it belonged to. Bayley.

He turned around, and there she was; her brown hair down instead of in her signature side ponytail and a smile ever present on her face.

"B-Bayley!" He was in shock; he hadn't seen her in what seemed like years, and that angelic voice hadn't graced his ears in such a long time. It had been for too long.

The two pulled one another into a tight embrace, neither wanting to let the other go. "It's been so long…" they both said to each other. Bayley's face leaned comfortably against Finn's shoulder as Finn could rest his chin on top of her head with one of his hands in her hair, their arms entangling.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Finn asked. "We have to catch up." After all, Bayley might be his only friend left.

"No, that's okay; I was actually on my way out, but yes, we really do need to catch up!" She looked at him with soft eyes as he sat back down on the bar stool. "I guess I can stick around for another minute… I haven't seen you in ages; I miss you!" She sat beside him, turning in her stool to look at him; Bálor did the same.

"I didn't think it'd be this hard to keep in touch with… anybody, really. Sorry about that."

"What are you sorry for, Finn? You've got your own thing to worry about; that's where your head needs to be." The smile that she had slowly faded into a more serious expression. "Speaking of which, how are you doing? I've been watching Raw and Smackdown, and I can't believe what Bray and his family are doing to you." She reached out and touted his shoulder, her thumb rubbing his collarbone. She had missed him just as much as he missed her; NXT just wasn't the same without him. "When I get my hands on them when I debut…"

Finn laughed, placing his hand on top of hers. "Don't you worry bout me, Bayley; I'll be okay. You just worry about keeping that championship of yours."

Bayley's face lit up instantaneously at the mention of her championship. "I think I might beat Paige's record."

"Seriously?!"

"What day is today…? May 30? So that means I'm at two-hundred and…" Bayley thought for a moment, counting the days in her mind. "…eighty-two days! She has three-hundred and eight, so I've still got some time to go, but… I think I'm… no, I _am_ going to!" She couldn't stop smiling; she worked her entire life for this moment, and in less than a month, it may become a reality. The excitement swelled inside her heart, just at the mere thought of becoming the longest reigning NXT Women's Champion, and that's exactly who she was; the _Women's_ champion.

He loved seeing her like this, so happy and full of life; he couldn't help but feel inspired, the demon recoiling back. For once, he felt less antagonized; Bayley was treating him like a friend, and not like some precious china that needed to be protected. "You deserve this, Bayley!" And she did; she truly did. "There's no one more fitting than the first Iron Woman to hold that honor. I'm so proud of you; I truly am."

Her cheeks flushed to a pink color, instinctively brushing her hair behind her ear. "It's honestly still so weird to be called that… it feels like such a dream. Champion, Main-eventer, Iron Man… The only thing that would've sweetened this whole run of mine would have been working with you on screen, and not just at house shows, y'know? I think we would've kicked a lot of butt out there, whether it would've been once or continuous, or whatever. Not everybody got to see us."

Now it was his turn to blush; she was too kind to him, too sweet. "Never say never… you never know; we may work together when we're both on the main roster."

Her eyes sparkled. "It might not be too far off…"

Finn took a sip of beer. "Not far off?"

"Since you were the first person who told me they were going up to the main roster…" She couldn't help how big the smile on her face got to be, and Finn's heart was ready to beat out of his chest in anticipation to her next few words. "…keep it on the down low, but they want me backstage for a few weeks…and by the end of June, I should be… officially on the main roster."

"What?! Bayley, are you serious?" His jaw dropped, his hands shaking. They were about to be reunited, and they would be together again, just like the old days. She nodded her head in response, putting her head in her hands to hide her face. She was just so excited to be able to tell him at last. "My god, I could kiss you right now."

She laughed. "I was hoping I'd be able to see you sometime soon so that I could tell you in person…I wanted you to be the first person to know."

"I'm… so excited. You're finally gonna be here! I appreciate the notification." His mind began racing with thoughts of him and Bayley traveling together and possibly even working as a team. He could count on her, and she could count on him; it was going to be wonderful - Wyatt Family who?

"Well, I got to get going. I got a meeting with Hunter early in the morning!"

Finn couldn't help but frown at that name, Hunter. The man who happily brought him up to the Main Roster…only to try to berate him and make him go back as soon as he got there. "Be wary of him, Bayley. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. The Main Roster changes him."

"It really does, doesn't it?" She nodded her head, deciding to give him a kiss on the cheek, a soft peck, as soon as she stood up. "Anyway, I'll see you around, yeah?"

"Uh…yeah," he said, his face flushing completely. She…kissed him. Granted on the cheek, but she kissed him! "You definitely will!"

She turned to leave, but something told him to ask her something. "Bayley?" he called for her, even standing up. She stopped and turned around, those dark brown eyes staring back at him with a look of curiosity. She was only a few inches away from him.

"Yeah, Finn?"

He almost couldn't get the words out, he was so nervous. "Since we're going to be back around each other a lot more… and we have time to see each other… would you… maybe… want to grab a bite to eat sometime?"

"Like a date?"

"Yeah, like a date."

She smiled that beautiful, toothy smile of hers. "I'd love to! We should grab breakfast or something… I'm a sucker for pancakes."

"Before Raw on Monday?"

"Sure! I'll see you then."

"Yeah! I'll call you."

"Bye, Finn!"

She said yes. Bayley said yes to going on a date with Finn; this was real. He chuckled to himself, his face still flushed and his fingers trembling at his sides. The smile didn't leave his lips for the rest of the night; the thoughts of Bayley and him out on a date held his attention so much, he didn't register the flash of light that caught both of them in a tight hug.

Monday morning around eight o'clock, the two friends made it to a small café. They were the first ones there, so they had the place all to themselves, choosing to sit at a round table across from one another. Finn and Bayley had an hour to kill before they had to be at the arena to rehearse and find out what their jobs were for later that night. They engaged in conversation, never leaving a moment of silence occur; they had so much to catch up on that the little time they had was eaten up in what felt like minutes. Bayley talked about what she was accomplishing down in NXT; she wanted to leave it in a better place than where she had found it. She was preparing herself to hand over the keys to all of the other NXT women, the likes of Alexa Bliss, Dana Brooke, Nia Jax, Asuka, and many others. This was all in due time, of course - not an immediate change - but it was time to start mentally getting ready.

"Does it scare you?" he asked her, taking a bite out of some bread.

She hesitated. "Yes and no, honestly. I'm…I'm ready to go up there and join everybody, but… NXT is my home, and there's no place I love more."

"We - er, the other women, they need you, Bayley. Really badly."

She smiled, her face becoming pink. "Well, I guess I could give my buddies, Sasha and Becky, some help…" She took a sip of tea before continuing. "Just kidding, of course I'll help them. Maybe by the time I come around, they'll have Charlotte, and it'll be a big Four Horsewomen reunion! Us against the world." She couldn't help but laugh, though her lips started to relax into a bit of a frown after a minute. "You know, I always dreamt about this whole ordeal… wrestling, making it to WWE… and now it's here… and already, I've just created so much history in such a short amount of time. It's… it's so overwhelming to sit down and just think about it. I'm part of a women's wrestling revolution! And my debut, it's around the corner."

"We're all so proud of you; I can't stress that enough. You have a fire in you like nobody else. Don't tell the others this, but you're definitely one of my favorites…"

Bayley asked about the Wyatts after a while. "It just seems so strange to me that…no one is on your side. No one is helping you."

"People are scared of the Wyatts. And now people are scared of me."

"…of you?" She furrowed her brow in confusion. This man spends his leisure time playing with legos; he is opposite of scary. "Why?"

"Well, people are scared of the demon. No one on the Main Roster has physically seen him yet, but they're scared he's going to come out soon. They say they see him in my eyes. And with the Wyatts ever so convinced that they're going to set him free, understandably everyone in the locker room is side-eyeing me. Not that it makes it any easier…"

Bayley placed her hand on top of Finn's; it was surprising how natural it felt to just hold his. "Just because he's in there somewhere doesn't give them the right to blow you off," she said. "He's not even that bad! They're scared for no reason!"

He looked up at her, his blue eyes searching hers. She meant it, every word. "I wouldn't say that… I know what he's capable of; NXT knows what he's capable of. But those on the Main Roster haven't the faintest idea. I even think that Neville forgot what he was like."

"Are you going to show him to them? To The Wyatts or anyone?"

"Part of me says I should… but I don't want Bray getting any ideas."

"Let him; you and the demon can handle him, one on one. He'll get his comeuppance; he is already asking for that side of you, anyway."

Finn laughed; she had a point. "I'll consider."

Once their free hour was finished, the two friends took to their rental car and drove over to the arena together. Some people saw Bayley and immediately started talking to her; they were in total shock that she was making an appearance. Was she debuting tonight, they asked her. Hair and makeup staff, other Divas, other Superstars; they all crowded the NXT Women's Champion, sucking her up and stealing her from Finn. He himself was patiently going to wait for her, but alas, they were taking her down another hallway, away from where he had to get ready. His own people, Creative specifically, pulled him in another direction to discuss topics like entrances and wardrobes. It was all boring, but alas, it had to get done.

They had just came off of a pay-per-view known as Payback the week before on the twenty-second of May, and they had not booked Finn for a match on it; unbeknownst to the audience, he needed to take a week off before the pay-per-view and not wrestle to tend to the beginnings of a wrist injury he had sustained against a random one-off with Ryback. But he was back and ready for action that night, and he was prepared to get back to work. He kept his eyes firmly planted on the Wyatts, watching as they completely decimated The Dudley Boyz for the umpteenth time. They were dominating as they usually were, and decided to cut a promo in the middle of the ring, another message to the former champion.

"I know you're out there, man; I know you can hear me right now!" Bray said, snatching a microphone as he walked in front of Bubba's fallen body. "One by one, they all fall before us. We have sent many men to the grave, like tonight for example, men that believed that they could stand up to us and try to dismantle us, but that was folly! There is no man, woman, or child in that locker room, in this arena, or in this world that contains the power to rip us apart, and if they think that they do, they are lying to themselves! All of you who think this way are liars!" He looked toward the titantron, his blue eyes, the color of the sea, staring at the entrance with expectation. "And the biggest liar of them all is Finn Bálor. He thinks that I am the one who lies, because I talk big and so eloquently, don't you, Bálor?" He smiled, chuckling. "I have never once lied to you, or to anyone for that matter; it is simply not worth my time to lie. You, on the other hand, I know you. I know you from what we have all seen on NXT, and I know about that being within your belly. He's alive. He breathes just like the rest of us, and he has power unlike any other! Give him to me, Finn. Give him to me, for I know what to do with a case like him; you can continue pretending to be the hero in your story like you desperately want to be, but you must cut the strings to that part of you! Let him go, and give him to me. But I don't need to ask you for your permission in the first place, because I have marked him! Cuz I've got your whole damn world in my hands."

Finn couldn't take much more of this nonsense. His music went off, and he appeared a moment later, the crowd naturally popping for him. There was no demon, but he wore his signature bandana across his face, with sleeves on his arms and his boots laced up. He had a microphone in hand, and he made his way down the ramp, stopping just before he could have entered the ring. He pulled his bandana down so he could talk, but the ferocity and intensity of his expression did not diminish.

"You think you're so clever, Wyatt," he started, as the three other members of the Family started to step closer to him, stalking him as if he were their next meal. That didn't scare him, though; Finn held his ground. "But you see, you don't have me all figured out like you think you do. You can beat me down as much as you want, physically degrade me to your heart's content, but you will never be able to touch that other side of me. What stirs within me is as much a part of my existence as my skin and my limbs; he did not appear out of nowhere like some sort of possession!" Finn slid inside the ring, feeling a rush of adrenaline that he did not expect to have. All of this anger at being senselessly beaten week after week was finally getting to him, and he was going to shove this back in Bray's face. He stepped closer to the patriarch who stared down at him like a small man, grinning like a proud man. "If you want my demon, you're going to have to kill me." He threw the microphone to the side, creating a loud thud, and then slapped the smile off of his face; everyone in the arena didn't need the microphone to hear just how hard Bray was hit. His elbow connected with his cheek, and then another, and another. Bray fell to the ring, and Finn jumped on top of him, unable to hold back. He was losing it again, and fast, but he didn't care. Luke grabbed Finn by the arms and pulled him off of Bray, but he came loose and greeted Harper with a vicious tornado kick, hitting him square in the back of the head. Braun and Erick came next, but with superhuman-like speed, he was able to escape their reach, using the strength of his legs to kick the giants in the back of their knees, dodging every single one of their arm hooks. No way was he getting caught in one of their rampages. Once they both had their backs turned, Finn jumped up and hit Rowan straight in the chest, the adrenaline giving him the strength to force him out of the ring from the top rope. He used the momentum to clothesline Braun over the top rope before being grabbed from behind and thus caught in Sister Abigail. Bray brought him back over to the center of the ring, laughing and ready to slam his head into the ring. Just as he brought Finn's head to his lips, he came back alive and reversed the move by jumping over and behind Bray, slipping his arms free to wrap one around Bray's throat and then lifting and slamming him down hard in a Bloody Sunday. Finn's eyes flashed toward one of the cameras before rolling to the back of his head as the veins running along his arms popped up against his pale skin.

"You want my demon, Bray? You caught him in a good mood… he'll see you Thursday."

The main event for Smackdown was settled here; it was Bray Wyatt versus Demon Bálor, one-on-one, without the Family interfering. And as Finn left the patriarch and the Family in the ring, he gave them one last look, and simply smiled.

* * *

 **Please leave a review, friends! Thank you to all who have and do; your words mean a lot to me. :)  
**


	7. Chapter 7: Battle

The Demon Inside Me

Chapter Seven: Battle

Finn returned backstage that night, feeling his blood pump through every vein in his body as he made his way to the locker room. Finally, he got some form of redemption and payback when it came to that Wyatt Family. He felt alive, like he had the power back in his control. They couldn't touch him, and they weren't going to when it came to the demon.

Smackdown came faster than expected, perhaps due to sheer anticipation. People were tuning in to either get their first glimpse of the Demon, or to see him on the Main Roster for the first time after seeing him on NXT for so long. What would he look like? Where is his mentality after suffering from a loss to Samoa Joe? The fans were intrigued.

The blue brand started off with the women; the Divas Champion, Sasha Banks and her former 'Team B.A.E.' teammate, Becky Lynch were kicking things off with microphones in their hands, and they were not pleased.

"So. Here we are back at Smackdown, and it's just the two of us," Sasha said with annoyance, her eyes searching the crowd. They were all murmuring to themselves as all audience members do at shows. It was the crack of June, the middle of the year, and they were in the epicenter of a disaster, forcing these two wrestlers to help one another.

"Look, these last few weeks have not been the best," Becky said. Sasha had the Divas Championship hung over her shoulder with the straps undone. "What with all these betrayals… Charlotte to me, and Naomi and Tamina with you…" Becky stopped herself as she rubbed her lips and chin; in her mind, she was reminded of how she saw Charlotte above her as she beat her to a near bloody pulp. All for what - a damn rivalry? The butterfly belt? "But let it be known that none of those lasses have won this fight. This isn't over. Tamina and Naomi haven't won; Charlotte hasn't won; and that little girl group, Phoenix certainly hasn't won, either!"

"That's right, Becky," Sasha piped in, her tone gritty and angry. She hadn't forgiven her former teammates for their harassment. "What those Divas don't understand is that they messed with the wrong women! They picked a fight with the greatest NXT Women's Champion of all time along with the current greatest Divas Champion. And they should've known better than to mess with one of the most brutal and strongest Divas in the WWE…" she looked at Becky, and while she was still slightly wary of her, having her on her side was for the best. "Becky has taken me to my limits many a time, and probably has the most brute strength out of everyone here… So I hope everyone in that locker room knows well what they're up against! Because they're not gonna get lucky again - there's a reason we called ourselves the 'Best At Everything' down in NXT." The crowd started to chant 'NXT! NXT! NXT!' in response, but Becky silenced them a moment later.

"With all of this being said… Charlotte, get your arse out here; we want to talk to you right now." Becky was ready as she walked closer to the front side of the ring, her expression prepared to fight as she stared at the titantron. Her former best friend wasn't going to pull any funny business - not on her watch.

"Easy, Becky," Sasha hissed as she too looked toward the titantron. "Charlotte. Former Divas Champion. Former Women's Champion. Who knocked the Queen off her throne? Oh, that's right, it was the _Boss_. The Boss of the WWE dethroned the Queen both times you were ever champion, so guess what, Charlotte? You can't beat me where it counts." The audience gasped at her audacity. She always knew how to trash talk, not that she wasn't telling the truth. "Face it, Charlotte. I pinned you at NXT Takeover Rival, and I made you tap out on the grandest stage of them all, at Wrestlemania no less! You can call yourself genetically superior or a queen or whatever, but the boss will always be one step ahead of you, and I will always be the one to beat you."

That did the trick. The harsh guitars of Charlotte's theme sounded, and the former champion came out, her face scrunched up in anger. Her long-time rival just put a target on her back, but Sasha wasn't worried in the least bit. Charlotte wore an outfit reminiscent of her NXT days, her "Do It With Flair" shirt, her blue bottoms, and her blue boots. She was in no mood to be made a fool of as she slid into the ring, Becky and Sasha letting her in. Charlotte and Sasha immediately got in each other's faces as the champion raised the title above her head and in her opponent's visage. They exchanged a few lines of trash talk before Becky had to separate them, coming in between them and looking back at Charlotte.

"What the HELL do you two want?" Charlotte spat after getting a microphone from a ring official.

"Oddly enough, we want you on our side, even with what Sasha just said," said Becky, giving her partner a bit of a dirty look.

"Are you out of your mind?! After what she just said to me?"

"I only said that to make you come out here, and look at that, it worked. Who's the fool now?" The two were starting to get close to each other again but this time Becky stood in front of Sasha to prevent a fight from breaking out just yet.

"We know; it's ludicrous, and honestly, I'd prefer to stay the absolute hell away from you, but let's just bury the hatchet, yeah?" Becky could barely hold back her anger, her face frigid and stiff.

"You insult me, and still want me to be your friend? My god, you're delusional."

"You betray me, and then try to say YOU'RE the insulted one?!" Sasha grabbed Becky by the elbow, preventing her from jumping onto the five-foot-ten Diva.

"Calm down!" she sighed. "Look, now that we're out here, we can explain."

"You guys are just tired of being beaten, aren't you? And you want me to protect you?" She forced herself to laugh in response. "That's pitiful!" She stepped up to Sasha, looking down at her and responding with a hiss in her voice. "Downright pathetic."

"Charlotte… you're good. Alright? You're _good_. I've been in the ring with you enough to know that better than anyone. But I know you just as well personally, and you don't want the likes of Phoenix running the place. You know they're bad news. United we stand…" she stuck her hand out to her former ally. "…divided we fall."

Charlotte stared at Sasha's extended hand for a long second before warily looking up and into her eyes. The crowd was on the edge of their seats, anticipating a new alliance.

"Sasha, my answer is….no," she said, her expression serious and the slightest bit offended. "Both of you can fight your own battles. Count me out." And with that, the Dirtiest Diva in the Game left the ring, turning her back on the two women.

"You good-for-nothin' traitor!" Becky shouted out toward her in a fit of rage. "That's all you're good at, Charlotte - wrestlin' and stabbin' your friends in the back!"

Finn watched the segment from the Gorilla Position, shaking his head at Charlotte's resistance. On one hand, it would not have been an easy reunion, but hell, weren't they united by a common goal? To defeat the new stable in Phoenix before they got any more powerful and gained more women? To Charlotte, it just wasn't worth it, especially since it was Sasha she would be tagging along with, the new Divas Champion, the one that stripped her of the title. But now this left Becky and Sasha in a predicament; they needed Charlotte. Even after all the betrayals, even with the hard feelings being there, they needed her. But she didn't need them.

Finn's match was the main event, one he was definitely looking forward to. Backstage, he had a crew of a few people spray painting the design of the demon all over his body. The more paint that was put on him, the more he felt the demon truly rise to the surface. That power, that confidence, that demeanor; it was all coming back to him. Bálor… was ready; the world was not.

10:30 PM hit, and Bray Wyatt, along with his followers, were the first ones out, greeted by the plethora of glowing fireflies in the audience. Bray had his lantern lit, smoke dripping down from its circumference as he entered the ring alone. He paced the perimeter, going back and forth until he gripped the ropes that faced the titantron.

"Come on!" he yelled. "Bring him out, Bálor!" He let the ropes go, taking a few steps back until he was dead center in the ring, not daring to take his eyes off the entrance ramp.

The lights dimmed as red lights flashed over the audience. One could hear the faint heartbeat so deep and so strongly, they felt it within their own bodies. All eyes were fixated on the ramps, waiting and expecting. The heartbeat that filled the arena quickened just like their own. Hands were clammy, eyes didn't blink, and no one breathed; how could they? The demon was here!

Over the titantron, there was an image of a sleeping child alone on his bed with the lights out, and he began to twitch, his fingers gripping the quilt that held his tiny body down. He whimpered as if in pain, sweat blotting on his forehead and tossing his head from the right to the left and back again. A faded shadow emerged beside his bed, placing a clawed hand on the child's throat, the tips of the blades where the fingers should have been poking into his skin. As he woke from his slumber with a gasp, the shadow cleared, taking the form of a certain burned serial killer. The screen went black just as the child screamed as a voice over the titantron said in a deep, raspy voice: "Welcome to the nightmare." Smoke started to spill over the ramps, causing everything in that vicinity to disappear before everyone's eyes. The air was sucked out of the room just as the demon rose to the surface, appearing with his arms outstretched on the downbeat of his theme. The audience on Smackdown erupted as they feasted their eyes on the entertainer below them. He wore a green and red striped sweater that was ripped from the chest down, a fedora on his head with his signature red and black leather beams falling down, his tights, sleeves, and boots. On his back, there was an image of a man with fleshy, burnt skin, a toothless-smile, and holes where his eyes should have been. On his front, he had his canine teeth painted white against a black background on his chest, his forehead, eyes, and cheeks painted red with tiny markings to make it look crispier like a burn.

The demon slipped into the ring, his vivid and chilling blue eyes looking up to meet their equals in Bray Wyatt. The Eater of Worlds stared down at him in awe, unable to avert his gaze. Finally, after all this time, the man he wanted to see was before him, slowing rising to his feet to face him. They were mere inches away from each other, and Bray couldn't help but to smile rather kindly at his opponent, even laughing a bit. Finn took his head piece off with a very slow movement and tossed it to the side, forgotten.

"Look at what we have here…" he said to Bálor. "You're real!" Finn didn't respond with words; he chose silence but stared at Bray with that cold expression on his face.

"The following contest is scheduled for one-fall!" Eden Stiles announced. "Introducing first, from Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, weighing in at one-hundred-and-ninety pounds, Finn Bálor!" The crowd began to cheer for him, yelling his name over and over. Some people even started to bow down to him as if he were a legend. A budding one, at the very least. "And his opponent —" Bray gave Eden a chilling expression that cut her off immediately, as if he were silently telling her not to introduce him. She was caught off guard and took a step back; she didn't need to be told twice. She left the ring, and the bell rang, commencing the match.

Neither men attempted to budge from their place, Finn kneeling on the balls of his feet by the corner turnbuckles and Bray standing in the center of the ring, watching his opponent's chest fall up and down with every breath. The camera swung around to catch the faces of both men in the ring. The crowds watching all around the world were familiarizing themselves with this new character, this new side to the man who called himself a demon personified. Even they could tell that there was something different that was happening here; Bálor had been soft-spoken, not silent; he proved to be reserved, not silent. It was hard to explain, but the air around this new demon changed, shifting into one of confidence.

However, Bray began to become weary and impatient with the stillness of the match. "Bring it, Bálor!" he said, stepping closer to him as he cocked his head from side to side. "Show me the demon."

Bálor didn't dare move. He merely kept his expression forward at Bray where his eyes followed the once-again pacing Destroyer of Worlds. Bray slapped himself in the temple, attempting to get himself back into the moment before dashing forward, letting out a loud yell before being halted by the demon himself who jumped into a Thesz press, both men slamming into the mat. Bálor responded with multiple forearms, to which Bray attempted to shield himself from with his arms much to no avail. He pushed the demon off of him, getting back to his knees, but the quickness of Bálor was greater than anticipated; as soon as Bray got to his knees, Bálor was up and hitting him across the chest and back with his legs. Ten seconds of pure kicking, and it ended with Bray on his back again. Bálor stepped away and circled around his opponent, his eyes locked on the patriarch of the Wyatt Family as his tongue slipped through his thin lips, licking the red skin of his mouth. Bray looked up at his opponent, unable to hold back his grin. This was all too exciting for the man.

They continued to go back and forth, grappling and trying to overpower each other. Both men had something to prove, to the other man, to the audience, even to Creative. They were going to tear the house down and show the world exactly what they were capable of. But like all rivalries, it was more than just that; there was a fire in their hearts, and they were out to show that theirs burned hotter, brighter, and more intensely than their opponent. Bray hooked Finn's elbow and snapped him over in an arm drag, doing this action twice, the second time Finn landing hard on his lower back, causing him to skid across the ring a bit. The patriarch stood back up, staring at Bálor like he were prey. He got closer, but in retaliation, the demon practically speared him to the middle of the ring, using the outside of his forearm to beat at Bray's face. Bray pushed him off, and Bálor landed on his feet, hitting the ropes to gain momentum as his opponent stood back up and hit him with a front drop kick. Bray fell against the ropes and in the blind of an eye, Finn was there with a clothesline that forced him over the top ropes. Bray hit the mat hard, rolling over to the barricade where fans were shrieking with excitement, as the demon encircled the perimeter of the ring before stopping, slowly glancing over at Bray, his wild eyes ever so focused, and jumping over the ropes himself in a somersault senton. He landed right on top of Bray, standing back up to engage the crowd a bit, who were in turn hollering and chanting his name or 'NXT!' repetitively. The demon was alive and well, his energy pumping through every vein in his body.

As all main events go, they lasted for well over twenty minutes, and neither man wanted to give in, nor did they give any hint to possible exhaustion. But one had to give in, and it was only a matter of time. The clock ticked closer to ten o'clock at night, and the Eater of Worlds had slammed the demon into the steel post of the ring. He approached the barricade, his slimy hair covering the majority of his face in a similar manner that Samara from The Ring had. He had that smile on his face as Finn staggered toward the announce tables, and just as he got his head back on straight and looked to his side, Bray was there with a clothesline that sent him crashing down to the mats.

"Is this it, Bálor?" Bray yelled in his face, immediately laughing. "Is this it?" He grabbed him by the neck and the tights, pushing him back into the ring, sliding in himself. He gingerly picked the demon back up, preparing to plant him face-first into the ground. He looked up toward the audience and the cameras, taking his sweet time as Finn remained limp in his arms. "Good night, Finn," he said, placing an emphatic kiss on his forehead, and just as he was about to twist over into Sister Abigail, Finn slithered out of his grasp with snake-like prowess, using his freedom to slap his foot across his face in a Tornado Enzuigiri. Bray staggered back a few steps, allowing Finn the opportunity to keep striking. Kick after kick until the Eater of Worlds was now the limp one. The demon grabbed him by wrapping one arm around his neck and the other around his shoulder, and then lifted the nearly three-hundred pounder, slamming him back down. He covered him, and the referee counted, one, two, three.

Finn Bálor, the demon, came out victorious. His music began to play, and the audience was ever pleased with the end result. However, there was something almost unusual happening. Viewers know that he was a good guy, fighting the forces of evil - The Wyatt Family - and even with coming out as the victor, he decided that the pinfall wasn't enough. He had stood up and looked toward the audience for just a moment before glancing back at Bray, those cold blue eyes digging holes into his back. His fingers twitched, a little bit of hesitance that needed to be released before jumping on top of the man and beating him again. He couldn't resist the temptation; it was far too great. Nobody makes light of the demon, and the patriarch of the Wyatt Family was going to learn this lesson the hard way. Blood started to collect on Finn's wrist and a little bit on his forearm, and it took three or four referees to rip the demon off of Bray, but holding him back was the real challenge. He struggled against their grasp as the rest of the Family got Bray to safety - Bray had given them specific instructions to not interfere in any part of their fight, which included the beatdown afterward apparently.

"This isn't over!" Braun Strowman, the black sheep of the Family, yelled in his growly voice. Rowan and Harper grabbed each of Bray's arms and helped walk him away, but Bray didn't forget to look back at Finn, and through his bludgeoned face, simply smiled at him.

The victor decided to stay inside the squared circle as he grabbed a microphone, his war paint smudged and inconsistent.

"You wanted the demon, Bray?" he hissed into the mic, admittedly out of breath. "Well, you got him." He allowed one corner of his lips to curl into a deep smile. "And now you know better." He leisurely dropped it before leaving the ring, greeted by an excess of dry ice and smoke as he evanesced into the back.

He was alive. He silenced the Eater of Worlds, the Seducer, Accuser, Man of a Thousand Truths. Whatever you wanted to call Bray Wyatt, he was taken care of. Finn came out on top this time around, and he couldn't have been proud. That rush of blood pounded against his skin all over his body, and he felt like he could take on the whole damn world. Even after Finn washed the paint off his body and put the demon away for the night, he still felt elated. There was nothing in this world that could stop him. Not now.

Finn left the locker room in his street clothes, with his bag slung over his shoulder, and a pep in his step. He was off to the next city, to the next events when his favorite voice rang from behind him.

"Finn!" said Bayley who was also in her streets clothes and had her brown hair down. A smile formed on both of their lips once they made eye contact with each other.

"Hey!"

She couldn't stop herself from hugging his side. "You did it tonight! I'm so proud of you; you did awesome!"

"Ah, it was nothing." His arm remained loose around her neck with her arm around his back, both of them looking into each other's eyes, unable to wipe the grins off their faces. "Life is back on track, Bayley." He sighed contently as he started walking, she walking with him. "I feel in control. No Authority on my back, the Wyatts receding on my terms, and I've got you in my life. Someone I can count on."

Bayley blushed, chuckling under her breath. "Of course you can!"

"I'm in such a good mood…I say we celebrate. You're getting closer to three-hundred and eight days everyday, and you're gonna become a hero when the entire WWE Universe meets you. May I take the lady out on another date?"

"Really?"

"Absolutely. We can go right now. Grab a drink, go to a restaurant if you're hungry, a club… whatever you'd like."

"Let's get some food! I'm starving." With their hands intertwined, the two went out for the night, chatting excitedly about the things to come. From behind them and out of their vision, a small flash of light caught the two of them on their way out.

The weeks began to blur together as June came into the picture. Money in the Bank was coming up on June 12, and Finn was feeling confident; he was one of the chosen seven going into the ladder match in order to win the briefcase that held a contract for a championship match on his time. The freedom it would give him, the championship was practically guaranteed his once he cashed in on the champion, so long it were at the proper moment. But getting that ladder match wouldn't be an easy task; he was up against the likes of Neville, Titus O'Neil, Dean Ambrose, Sami Zayn, Kofi Kingston, and Kevin Owens, some of whom were men he had faced down in NXT. Knowing that still didn't deter his confidence; that briefcase was as good as his.

Or so it would have been had there been no interference. The match was on first, and after having done his somersault senton on the rest of the competitors outside the ring, he was sure to ascend the ladder; he was the first man back on his feet. Getting that contract would have been more than just getting the championship match on his own terms; it meant being able to slap the likes of Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and The Authority - most importantly out of them all, Triple H - for all the hell they had given to him ever since he debuted the night after Wrestlemania. Reigns was still champion, and if he could knock him off his high horse and keep him on the edge of his toes, that would be the icing on the proverbial cake.

He was just about to get back into the ring to climb up toward the heavens when all of a sudden, he felt a man grab his arm from behind and then was clotheslined hard back to the ground. The man responsible was none other than Bray Wyatt, a man not involved whatsoever in the match. The crowd greeted him with nothing but boos and distain, but that mattered very little to the Eater of Worlds. He grabbed the former NXT Champion, and threw him against anything he could find, the barricades, the sides of the ring, and even toward the LED boards on the titantron. The likes of Neville and Sami Zayn stopped in their tracks and for a moment, they felt conflicted; they had to help their friend, didn't they? This was completely unreasonable of Bray, but this was Money in the Bank they were talking about; this could be their one shot at the prize. But Rowan, Harper, and Strowman all came out as well, acting as a barrier between what was happening with Bray and Finn from the other contestants. The two babyfaces had no choice but to continue. Bray made mince meat out of the man, leaving him was a gash above his eyebrow where blood easily dripped down his face. Finn had been taken out of the equation, allowing Kofi Kingston his opportunity to shine and grab the briefcase; after six or seven years, he had finally reached the top of the mountain.

For Finn Bálor, the war with the Wyatts was simply not over.

On the other hand, the women were fighting through their own struggles. Becky and Sasha were still on their own, and they were up against all four members of Phoenix. The former 'Team B.A.E.' members could hold their own, but numbers odds were not in their favor in the least bit. They were in a two-on-four handicap match which they accepted without hesitation; they weren't going to be harassed by a bunch of power-hungry people. The Divas Champion wasn't about to be outdone by these women; SHE was the boss around here, not them. They had their moment of glory, and it was about time they were put in their place at the back of the line. But as The Undertaker said, everybody got to learn the hard way.

The match started off between the longest reigning Divas Champion, Nikki Bella, and Sasha Banks, grappling each other in the middle of the ring, though Nikki was able to push through and force the Boss into one of the turnbuckle corners, the referee getting to a four count before she let her go. Nikki grinned and backed off, spreading her arms out to the sides and looking at the audience, soaking up the boos of the crowd. How it felt so good to be evil. Sasha, however, did not take kindly to this insolence, her face scrunching up in annoyance as she took Nikki by the sides of her face and bounced her off the top of her thigh the way Nikki would always do with her opponent. She snapped backward, grabbing her face in shock. This time it was Sasha's turn to gloat, and she was met with cheers. The former champion got back to her feet and attempted a Bellahammer, but her opponent was too quick; she ducked and drop-kicked her right in the chest.

Back and forth the women went; the reunited 'Team B.A.E.' lasting longer than anyone would have thought, but still the struggle was hard. Paige got Sasha in the PTO, that excruciatingly painful modified Scorpion Crosslock; most thought it was the end, but Banks would never tap. Becky snuck into the ring and kicked Paige in the face, forcing her grip loose and releasing the Divas Champion. Two members of Phoenix - Brie and Foxy - ganged up on Becky, throwing her out of the ring and following in order to continue the attack. Paige allowed Nikki her moment, and she joined the other two outside. As Sasha got back to her feet, grabbing her lower back that ached her so, Nikki took the time to use her patented Bellahammer to finally land on her. The Boss's back fell against the ropes as she was clearly disoriented at this point; Nikki took her wrist, pulling her closer and gingerly slid her on top of her shoulders. She got to the center of the ring, smirked for the camera, and said tauntingly, "Not so boss-like now, are yah?" before dropping to her knees, Sasha getting the full force of the Rack Attack. She laid lifeless in the center of the ring as her opponent toppled over her, hooking her leg up for the pin.

One, two, three. Phoenix came out on top, and pinned the Divas Champion much to the dismay of the crowd. Nikki looked toward the camera, mockingly pouting her lips and dabbing her eyes as if she were crying.

"That's right!" she said. Deciding to further humiliate the team, she snatched the championship, holding it high above her head as she stepped on Banks's stomach. "Your days are numbered, Sasha." She knelt beside the champion. "This will be mine once more, and you will _never_ be champion again." She tossed the championship back onto Sasha and created an L shape with her fingers, placing them directly on her forehead.

Outside the ring, Paige, Foxy, and Brie were wreaking havoc on Becky; the Lass Kicker couldn't even have the option of helping her tag partner if she tried. They bounced her body off the barricade, and Paige even locked in the PTO again, but this time on the announce tables as she had done to her months ago. Becky was screaming in agony, but there was nothing she could do. They slammed her into the steel posts, threw her against the side of the ring, and shoved her to the ground. Helpless. Both of these women were simply helpless.

In a shocking twist, these women were not alone anymore. The harsh guitars to Charlotte's theme song went off, and the Genetically Superior Diva came walking out from backstage, her eyes sparked with a strange sense of anger. The head Bella stopped her taunts and stared up at the blond, a hatred looming over her face. She never got one over on Charlotte, and she was the one who ended her record breaking title reign. They never got along, and they never would.

Charlotte made her way down to the edge of the ramp, the audience conflicted on how to feel about this situation. She kept her eyes focused on Nikki as she walked the perimeter of the ring until she saw Foxy, Paige, and Brie make a go at her. She let out her signature yelp as she delivered a Flair Chop to the chests of all three women consecutively. They fell to the ground, but as Brie came back up to attack her from behind, she was met with the soles of Charlotte's boot. She cleared the way so that Becky could breathe and have a moment of peace as she got back into the ring, facing off against the woman she personally dethroned. The two of them got in each other's faces but did not immediately speak words, the height difference between them clearly visible. Charlotte's face was lit up in disgust as Nikki's had more disdain.

"Leave her…" the blond hissed. "You got what you wanted."

"Oh yeah? How about you mind your own business for once?" Feeling particularly brave, Nikki shoved her back, fueling Charlotte's anger that much further, and being greeted by a particularly vicious spear. Nikki rolled out of the ring, joining her teammates as the Dirtiest Diva in the Game gripped the ropes, using the expression on her face to drive the stable away. Sasha got back to her feet after a moment with Charlotte's back still to her. She herself felt conflicted, but knew it was better to have her as an ally than an enemy. Once she turned around, the Divas Champion offered her hand out to her. She was met with a stare, hesitation clear as day on her face as she looked from the Boss's hand to her face. What was she to do?

Sasha was met with yet another no. "Tomorrow. Monday Night Raw," she simply said. Charlotte left the ring, not taking her eyes off of Sasha or Becky who had just entered the ring to join her friend. The two women were once again on their own.

The next night on Raw, about halfway through the first hour, Charlotte decided to come out to the ring by herself. There was no Divas Championship, there was no Daddy Ric Flair by her side; it was just her in her blue ring gear. She took to the microphone and decided to immediately get to the point.

"I'm not going to waste anybody's time here. Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, both of you… get out here," she said. It was hard to read her face; what was going on inside that head of hers? She stared ahead of her blankly, but seemed hesitant of what would come next.

The two friends did come out after about two seconds, and needless to say, they wanted some answers. Sasha was wearing her new shirt with the Divas Championship tied tightly around her waist, and Becky came out in her black cloak with her steampunk goggles on top of her head. They entered the ring and got a few mics themselves.

"What the hell is your problem?" Sasha asked in reference to last night. "You help us, but still you turn us away?"

"You better start talkin' real quick, or there will be a lass kickin' in this ring right here, right now," said Becky.

"Look, you two need me. I have no reason to help you two outside of our common goal. You're right, I don't want Phoenix running the division. So, I'll join you… but on one condition."

Sasha and Becky exchanged glances quickly. "Alright, what is it?"

"We're in this situation again, Sasha. I came to your rescue once again. You owe me one…" She knew exactly where this was going, evident by the instant dilation of her pupils. This was the second time she was being asked this, the first time having been on NXT just before they got their callups to the Main Roster.. "I asked for it the last time, and I'm asking for it this time, too. I want a rematch with the Divas Championship on the line; it's the least you can do for me."

"You want a rematch?" The Boss stepped closer to the Nature Girl. "You got it. After we take care of Phoenix." She stuck her hand out for a third time, hoping this time she would not be met with nothing. Charlotte hesitated, looking at both Sasha and Becky, before taking her hand, pulling the champion in close, her grip made of iron.

"I will take the title off of you," Charlotte said, her voice hissing, however Sasha stood her ground, squinting her eyes at the former champion.

"Bring it. I'll beat you like I always do."

"I'll believe it when I see it." They let go of each other, and once again, they made a hesitant alliance. The three of them now stood a chance against the likes of Nikki, Foxy, Paige, and Brie, and that's what counted in their eyes. Once it was over, they would go their separate ways, but right now, it was all business. Charlotte left the ring as her music began to play; Sasha and Becky exchanging small nods with one another.

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 **Please leave a review! :) Thank you for the continued support and patience!  
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	8. Chapter 8: Paranoia

**A/N: Hello everyone! I apologize for the long hiatus from this piece of work; I was writing a different story and then school really took up a lot of my time so I had very little opportunity to write this, but here it is now - thank you so much for your patience. I really couldn't have done any of this without your help and support; it means a lot! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and fingers crossed, the next update won't be too far away! Please review :)**

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The Demon Inside Me

Chapter Eight: Paranoia

The war wasn't over. Finn thought their last match would have sufficed and ended this 'war' between him in the Wyatt Family - he was declared the winner after all - but that simply was not the case after what happened at Money in the Bank. Just as he was about to win big with the coveted briefcase, that vision had been cut short by none other than the patriarch himself, and he didn't even see it coming. Finn had to walk backstage with empty hands, his face unsurprisingly shocked. He won against them; the DEMON won. What business did Bray and his lackeys have with him now?

Finn was in his locker room icing his shoulders with Bayley there by his side. Nobody seemed to mind her being there; they understood and didn't look in their direction. As a matter of fact, there was no one there except for them. Bayley had her hands on his shoulders, massaging the ice delicately into his raw skin.

"Thank you, Bayley," he said with a grunt; no matter the pain he was in, there was such a comfort having her here with him. Bayley was positive vibes personified.

"No problem… you feelin' any better?"

"As cheesy as it sounds; yes, now that you're here." It _was_ cheesy, but at least he meant it.

Her heart skipped a beat as her lips broke into a wide smile. "Good to know."

"Hey, when are you debuting again?" He didn't want to focus on his own issues or feel any self-pity; besides, he was genuinely curious. "I want front row seats to cheer you on."

"I'm afraid you're still gonna have to wait a bit. Plus, I can't ruin the surprise if you've forgotten. Not that I gave an exact date to begin with…"

"Sometime before the beginning of July?"

"Maybe… maybe not…" she teased, chuckling. He was going to have to wait for an answer, just like everyone else.

"I just want to be the loudest person cheering for you. Louder than any fan."

"Just imagine how loud you'll be when you find out; it'll be that much more authentic! Keep watching the women's matches these next few shows - that's all I'll tell you."

"Fine, fine… I respect that." His shoulders slumped as he relaxed them. "I'm so excited for you, is all."

"Trust me; me, too."

Finn walked Bayley to her hotel room for the night - a lot of the wrestlers were staying at the same one - before going off and finding his, jumping in bed and staring up at the boring, plain ceiling. This whole Wyatt Family debacle was getting under his skin and quite frankly, he was already sick of them. He had to find a way to get them all off his back, but if the demon couldn't silence them, what could? These never-ending questions lingered in his mind as he drifted into sleep.

On Raw the night after Money in the Bank, about halfway through the show, he had a match. Going in he couldn't help but feel wary - would the Wyatts try to jump him? Would it be before? After? During? Would it happen at all - was Finn just being paranoid? He had to keep his guard up and stay three steps ahead of the game just so he could be ready if and when they showed their ugly heads. With his senses heightened, Finn laced up his gear and prepared for battle against an old NXT Superstar, Baron Corbin. He had made his debut within the last few months as well, bringing an End of Days to the midcard.

Finn came out first to the roar of the crowd, opening his leather jacket as he made his way down the ramp so everybody could see his chiseled physique. He was proud of how he looked; why not show the world? On the back of his jacket read the words: "Bulletproof Bálor Club." He was Bulletproof, and nobody could touch him; he had to keep telling himself that as he entered the ring. That word meant something to him. The likes of Baron Corbin did not scare him in the least bit, but if the Wyatt Family really were to show up, Finn had to steel himself in preparation.

Baron came out next; the blinding white lights raining down upon his body, allowing the audience to drink him all in. He wasn't like any other Superstar that felt the need to make an obnoxious entrance; no, he was here, and all he had to do was stand by the titantron with his arms outstretched. He was more about the look anyway; a six-foot-eight imposing man with wolf heads on shoulder pads, he was the Lone Wolf. He didn't need anyone. People knew him, and they knew the product. With a rather bored expression, he made his way down to the ring, slipping through the ropes and immediately towering over Finn. Finn was used to this; in all his experience, being five-foot-eleven was all but short in the wrestling world, so standing beside his opponent who was nearly an entire foot taller was nothing extraordinary. It was just business.

'No sign of them anywhere…' Finn thought to himself as his blue eyes searched the area around him. 'That makes them more dangerous…'

Eden Stiles already introduced the two men when they made their way to the ring. The stage was set for a standard fair, just two men fighting. Both needed a win; Baron hadn't been on TV in a while so he needed to put his name back into the equation to get more time, and Finn had to start climbing to the top. Both of the men had similar goals: To be the best, to win gold - the top prize in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship - and to headline Wrestlemania. Any day is a good day to start.

The bell rang, and it was game time; the two men went head to head, grappling to start the match. Baron overpowered Bálor and immediately pushed him into the corner turnbuckles, the referee counting until four when he let go of the Irishman. Finn was still trapped inside his head, anticipating an attack from the Wyatts at any time - he needed to get himself back in gear and fast. His frozen blue eyes stared ahead at Baron, looking him over as he shook out some of the nerves in his arms, the two men circling each other. It was almost dance-like, drawing closer and closer to each other but at an even pace, like they were being pulled toward one another. Then they jumped forward simultaneously, grappling once more. They were pushing back, Finn's thighs straining as evident by the veins starting to pop out there. But with one swift motion, Corbin pushed him back, causing Bálor to fall on his side a few feet away.

"Is this all you got, Demon Boy?" Corbin antagonized, going to him and slapping him in the jaw as he was trying to sit back up. "Huh? Is this it?" He backed off in order to gloat, his outstretched arms drinking in the boos slipping from each and every audience member's tongues. The angrier they seemed, the stronger he became.

For some reason, Finn just couldn't shake the dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach. The longer the match went, the more paranoid he got. Where were they? Why haven't they appeared? What are they up to? Every time he got the upper hand, it lasted all but a fleeting minute because he was undoubtedly sure that the lights would go off and he'd be staring into Bray's chilling blue eyes. They were the exact color of the ocean, but how could something so beautiful be so dangerous?

It was getting toward the end of the match, and everybody could sense it; their fifteen minute bout had to come to a close, and soon. Finn set Baron up for the Coup de Grâce; he climbed to the top of the turnbuckles as Baron laid still in front of him, every ounce of energy focused on hitting him square in the chest.

But at the last second, just as he was about to jump, Finn made the mistake of turning his head and thus saw something in the front row. A man or woman - hell, perhaps a child - wearing a sheep mask. One that looked all too familiar to the ones the Wyatts used. So this is how they were going to get him, by watching him from the crowd? He should have known better; this was brilliant. If only he noticed it sooner! But was this person one of the Wyatts? Did they recruit another member? This slight hesitation, this pause that he took, froze him in place, and he couldn't find it in him to move. He was back at Money in the Bank where just as he was about to reach his goals, _they_ stole it from him. In that moment, he could feel all that rage, all that pain they inflicted on him, reminding him exactly why they weren't to be trusted. They picked a fight with the wrong guy.

Corbin saw that hesitation as his opportunity and he ran with it. He jumped back to his feet and knocked into Bálor, the latter slipping into his arms. Baron pulled back and was able to land the End of Days in a swift motion, earning the three count that immediately followed. The Lone Wolf slipped away to celebrate his victory as Bálor was left laying in the center of the ring, stunned at his own failure doing this match. The Wyatts never came. And they still got to him.

He made his way to the back, his path quiet and without a soul. No one approached him, and nobody had anything to say. How could he have been so stupid, getting in his head like that? He had nothing to worry about, and yet he still freaked out at a damn sheep's mask. Who knows if there even was one in the audience; maybe he just hallucinated it. There was no forgetting this, and Finn wasn't planning on being merciful. He had to plan. He had to calculate. The Wyatt Family - _Bray_ \- were unleashing something they would never be able to handle.

Finn started to fall back into himself with every day that passed, not that it was hard to do so, anyway; the people he once called his friends - especially those he knew in NXT - were barely even looking at him nowadays. They were all too afraid he was going to snap at them; the curse of the demon, he supposed. But why now? Why were they all suddenly like this? This concept of the demon had hung around him throughout his entire career, and not just in NXT or WWE; the beginnings of the demon could be found even in New Japan through different paints he put on. There had to be something else going on here. It never bothered anyone before, so what was the problem?

He was beginning to go on a losing streak, and it all started at Money in the Bank, that cursed pay-per-view. First Baron, then Sheamus on Smackdown. The live events he was at for that weekend? Lost all of those as well; surely those "didn't count" and they were just for fun with the fans, but even those irked him. He could feel his demon stir within his belly as he headed into Raw the next week.

The only person who gave a damn about him anymore was Bayley, and sometimes Finn thought he was on the verge of losing her, too. She was too pure, too good… But she could handle herself around any man or woman, nevertheless; she was her own person. She became that much more significant to him in this life the lonelier he got; he could finally admit to himself that he needed her.

Raw, June 20. Finn was very fidgety backstage as he hung around the Gorilla Position. He had to get his mind off his own problems and his own place in the business. He had to get out of this tiny room… He decided to venture back to the locker room where there was more open space for him to breathe in, but once he got there, he still felt preoccupied in his own mind. Flashes from what happened at Money in the Bank and the Monday Night Raw after popped into his mind. Hell, even the Smackdown fight with Sheamus did as well. Finn allowed himself to get distracted with the Wyatts and then lost to a fellow Irishman. How could he have been so stupid? To allow this to happen; what _was_ happening to him? Across the room on the wall was a flatscreen TV where he could watch the events in the ring, so he decided to tune in, his hands shaking against his thighs, and he allowed himself to get absorbed into what was passing.

The lady group consisting of Nikki and Brie Bella, Alicia Fox, and Paige - otherwise known as Phoenix - came out to the ring. They were still at the top of the division and shaking up the women trying to make a name for themselves, namely Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and now Charlotte. The audience greeted them with a loud roar of boos that sustained for some time after they all grabbed microphones. Nikki and Brie made scrunched-up faces at the crowd.

"Be quiet!" Nikki said, furrowing her brow as the crowd got louder. "How dare all of you address the four of us that way; don't you know greatness when you see it? Oh wait, of course not, because you all cheer for little Miss Divas Champion, the one who calls herself the Boss!" She let herself pause as the crowd responded by chanting Sasha's name over and over again, loud and clear. This only made her more furious; she could feel her blood starting to boil as her cheek began to redden and her shoulders began to shake. "I said, be quiet! You all cheer for her like she's some kind of royalty; I'm the queen here - me! Nikki freaking Bella! I worked my tail off for nearly ten years to get that Divas title for more than just six days, and you saw what happened - I became the longest reigning WWE Divas Champion, and the best champion this company has ever seen! This is a fact, and none of you can possibly dispute it! I was resourceful! Powerful! A god! And how did you all respond? By thinking it's a-okay to come to me on my Twitter and Instagram and disrespect me because you think you know me and my story and where I've come from when you're all ignorant! IGNORANT. You begged for a revolution and for change for as long as I've been around when _hello_ \- you all had me! I was good enough all along but you didn't appreciate me; those three women, the 'NXT Three' - what a stupid little name - came up to us in our ring, on our turf so you decided they were worthy to cheer for; they were the ones worth your time when you shouldn't have even known about them! Oh my god, they were 'real wrestlers' because they weren't trained by the Performance Center. Would you guys get over yourselves already? Do you even listen to yourselves? There's more than just one way in becoming the greatest Diva of all time than by just wrestling in the independents. I created myself; I am self-made. So all of you can keep crying about how I don't deserve to be in my position; last I checked, I'm the one busting my ass working while the rest of you are complaining on your little smartphones that your daddies all bought for you."

She had been waiting for so long just to get all these words out in front of the crowds that harassed her day in and day out. Nevertheless, even after spilling the speech, the audience had the audacity to start chanting 'We Want Sasha' in a desperate attempt to silence her, but Nikki was having none of it. "And there it is! 'We want Sasha! We want Sasha!' Well, too damn bad! I'm here - Phoenix is here, and you're going to listen to us! _I_ am a real woman - the four of us are real women! You're all excited to see some chick who just got to main roster not even a year ago, and then you all exploded when she became champion in only nine months. You think she knows how to run this place? I don't think so! This isn't NXT! This is the WWE - a place that actually matters!" She snorted when the people screamed out; how dare she attack the developmental branch? "Everything was handed to her since she got here. Every single thing! You expect me to just move aside for some twenty four year old? As for her other precious lackeys… It took me years and years of work - a whole lot of blood, a whole lot of sweat, and certainly a whole lot of tears! - to get my three hundred-and-one day reign, just to have it stomped on and halted by Daddy Dearest's precious little girl, Charlotte, somebody with no experience in the independents either, yet you all cheered for her when she took my title from me! What's the difference between the two of us, except that I don't try to take after my two-time Hall of Fame dad? Oh, and Becky? Yeah, you all like her?" She stopped herself, laughing to herself for a moment; the audience started to chant for the Lass Kicker as well. "What can I say except for the fact that she's completely worthless as a solo act? Couldn't take the title off of her best friend and the person who stabbed her in the back, and then just faded away for a while until Sasha brought her back for a little NXT reunion? How cute… Lass Kicker? More like she's a lass who gets kicked all the time. I've never seen such a pitiful excuse for a wrestler; talk about not being able to stand on your own two feet. Becky, I just pity you…"

"Oh, and another thing—" Brie chimed in only to be interrupted by the very people Nikki was calling out. Sasha Banks's music played and out came the Divas Champion herself along with her allies, Becky and Charlotte; the three of them were all carrying microphones already, and Sasha was leading them, the championship snug around her waist.

Sasha was the first to talk. "Oh, boo hoo, you have such a sob story, Nikki," she started, mocking her by fake crying. "'It took me so long to make it here, but people don't respect me! Won't you all please pity me!' Do you even realize how ridiculous you sound? You've been here how long and your skin still hasn't thickened?"

"You can't have it both ways, Nikki," Becky piped in. "You come out here with somewhat valid points, but your actions speak louder than your words. For years, you've had the mindset of a high school queen bee, acting like nothing but a bully toward everybody backstage so of course people won't respect you. Do you remember how you got the longest championship reign in history? Oh, that's right… you used your twin sister and Foxy to do your dirty work since you couldn't even handle the job of being champion yourself. What crawled up your arse and turned you sour?"

"Oh, shut up, Becky—" Nikki started but Becky continued.

"That's exactly my point right there!" The NXT Three all slid into the ring and the Straight Fire of the Divas Division walked right up to the leader of Phoenix. "You think you can fool us, the audience, and everyone watching at home about your sob story? How you busted your arse for years on end to get any sort of respect from anyone and you still think you don't have any? You're not the only person who's had to work for everything they've ever gotten. You want to call yourself an inspiration to little girls and women everywhere because you had a long reign and you think you're a strong, empowered figure? Anyone with eyes can see right through your antics and how you played the game; you kept the championship for so long and only won one championship match by herself out of what, eleven or twelve defenses? Not to mention you won the championship by cheating, and retained it by cheating again against the former longest reigning Divas Championship; THAT says a lot more about you than your little sob story. The difference between you gals and the three of us is that we won't try to shame the other women in the locker room to uplift ourselves; we don't feel the need to disrespect anyone because we let our actions speak for ourselves. Humiliation is for the weak, anyway, and that means we won't hold down another woman and spray paint all over her body because we don't like how pale she is, or steal her wrestling gear — remember that, Paige? Remember how the then-Divas Champion saw you as a threat so she stooped so low by grabbing her twin and stole all your clothes so you couldn't compete in a match that didn't even include her?" The twins averted their eyes as the memories flooded back from when they did those things to Paige at the beginning of 2015. Paige shifted awkwardly as she whispered to the Bellas: "I forgive you. I did a long time ago."

"Oh, please, Paige, what happened to you? Have you lost that much of a backbone that you can't even stand up to somebody anymore?" Becky rolled her eyes and gave Nikki her attention again. "You know who do those things like that, Nikki? Huh? Bullies. You're a bully. And you're due for a comeuppance."

"You talk a big game, Becky," said Foxy. "But you seem to be forgetting who we are… the four of us have put this Division and everyone in that locker room on notice. We're the most powerful group here, and we outnumber you four to three. You're in no position to challenge _our_ authority."

"Funny you say that, because I specifically remember kicking all of your asses not too long ago singlehandedly," said Charlotte, smiling. She still felt odd fitting in with Becky and Sasha, but as the saying goes: 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.' "Not to mention I took your title, Nikki. BY MYSELF."

"You three are still weaker than the four of us!" Foxy retaliated, not standing for this condescending tone toward her friends. "Not to mention, you're all _rookies_ and we're _veterans_. We're the ones with the experience on this stage and have been here longer than all of you!"

The four women of Phoenix trapped the NXT Three in a tight circle in the center of the ring. "You gonna try to fight us?" asked Foxy. "The three of us are a team. United. Three won't beat four."

They were right. Phoenix had another person with them and it wouldn't be hard for them to overpower them, especially with their veteran expertise coming in handy. Sasha, Becky, and Charlotte were by no means 'rookies' in any sense of the word, but they were still the newer ones here.

By no means did it mean they were the weak, however.

"Well? What are you fighting for?" Nikki said in a hushed yet somewhat sinister voice.

"Opportunity," simply said Charlotte.

"Respect," said Becky.

Sasha was quiet for a moment, wanting to choose her words carefully. She brought the microphone back up to her lips as she looked into the eyes of every member of the enemy group. "Power."

Nikki and her group sneered and laughed, unable to hold back how funny that word was to them. "Power? I knew that'd get to your head sooner or later," Brie said.

"Yes, power." Sasha's eyes narrowed. "The power to choose. The power to fight. The power to stand up for myself. The power to call people out on their crap." She put emphasis on that last phrase, a nod toward this group in front of her, the corners of her upper lip twitching. "And the power to call a friend to help…even the odds. Because you see, Nikki, there's a reason people like us. We all have a special chemistry with each other; we bring out the best in each other, personality-wise and in the ring. But when the three of us came up to Raw and Smackdown in July of last year, well… we were one short. There was always one person missing. You're not the only group to have four people… The three of us still have a friend who stayed behind to carry a brand all on her back ever since we left. She's beaten Charlotte, she's beaten Becky… she's even beaten me for my championship. She is the absolute best, and she's never needed to change herself in order to meet a standard, because guess what, _she is_ the standard. She's never needed anyone to help her win a defense, and she's just about to become the new longest reigning champion."

Phoenix scoffed in response as Sasha let the air breathe for just a second. The crowd was chanting this person's name over and over; they knew who Sasha was referring to.

"Nikki, Brie, Foxy, Paige… meet the NXT Women's Champion."

Her music began to play, and the crowd erupted into a roar that was reserved typically for a returning legend. Finn was watching this all live, and once he heard her music, his heart - and time around him - all stopped in that moment. His blue eyes widened as the air escaped his lungs. Today was the day; a chill zoomed down his spine. She came out to the ring with her orange jacket and championship snug around her stomach. Her wrestling outfit was a splash of orange, yellow, red, green…a mixture of all those colors together, something familiar. Easily recognizable. In that moment, he wasn't thinking about his problems or the demons that plagued him; no, today was about her - it was her day.

Bayley.

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 **A/N: I realized while writing this that there was an issue with a pay-per-view date: in REAL life, Money in the Bank is on June 19, NOT JUNE 12 like what is written here! Sorry for any confusion! And also I had written a few chapters ago that Sasha defeated Paige for the Divas Championship but last chapter, I wrote that she made Charlotte tap at 'Mania. Let's ignore that I wrote she beat Paige and continue with beating Charlotte. Sorry again!**


	9. Chapter 9: Bayley

**A/N:** **Hello readers! As you will read, this chapter's title is 'Bayley' as the chapter is centered heavily around her (spoilers?); I felt it was necessary to give her this chapter so we can all see her perspective. We will get back to Finn's side in the next chapter, but as Bayley becomes increasingly important to this story, it's imperative she gets explored a little as well (who doesn't love her, anyway?). Enjoy, and please review!**

* * *

The Demon Inside Me

Chapter Nine: Bayley

It was Bayley, the NXT Women's Champion, finally making her long awaited debut to the main roster after four grueling years down in NXT. The feeling in the arena, as Michael Cole would put it, was "electric." She stayed by the titantron, the spotlight shining down on her as she soaked in her new environment with the crowd screaming for her. How will she ever forget this moment, how the cheers pierced right in her heart? She had to hold back every tear that crept up in her eyes, and that task proved to be difficult. She bobbed her head to her theme before quickly remembering to raise her inflatable tube men army. With her arms widely stretched past her sides, the six colorful tube men proudly stood by her side, waving their wacky arms as she slowly started to walk to the ring. She couldn't stop smiling as she tried to look at every face in the all of the seats to her left and right, the ones closest to her. People were legitimately crying, grown men and women and children alike, and this was all for her. Taking it all in… this was giving her chills. As she approached the ring, she reached out to give a fan or two a hug, some others her snap bracelets. Now her brown eyes were locked momentarily with the leader of Phoenix, Nikki Bella herself, who responded with a distinct glare. With a bounce in her step, Bayley hopped up the steel steps and then slipped between the ropes to enter the ring. She had to keep telling herself to 'keep it together,' otherwise she'd be in tears and a mess in the middle of the ring. She stood in between Sasha and Becky, the three of them exchanging smiles as she and Charlotte nodded to each other - an understanding.

"Say hello to the Four Horsewomen," Sasha said, smiling confidently. The odds were much more even now. The women let the air breathe as the audience went through a variety of chants, starting with 'NXT! NXT! NXT!' before proceeding to 'This is awesome!' and 'Hey, we want some Bayley!' The NXT Women's Champion brought her mic to her mouth but the crowd couldn't resist serenading, 'Hey Bayley, I want to know if you'll be my girl?' That one was possibly her favorite; the cheesiest of all grins appeared on her face as she looked out to the crowd. For the briefest second, her lip quivered and her eyes sparkled, but she quickly composed herself; she was not going to allow her emotions to get her on the most important day of her career thus far.

Bayley took a breath, her lips curling into a smile as she finally said her first words on the main roster. All eyes were on her in this moment.

"Hello, Nikki," she said, an intro reminiscent of when Kevin Owens first came out to meet John Cena back in May of 2015. "I don't think I need to introduce myself cuz you probably know who I am already but… in case you don't, my name's Bayley." The crowd popped and chanted her name. Sasha couldn't hold back a smile - she was so proud of her best friend - as Becky held up four fingers, a sign of the Four Horsewomen. Even Charlotte let herself smile the tiniest bit.

"Okay, cute; you brought your old NXT buddy to help you," Nikki said blankly, looking over at Sasha and ignoring the Huggable One in front of her, rolling her eyes. This was a joke, right? "You know what's making me laugh right now? None of you thought to even ask any other Divas in that locker room to help you. What about Summer Rae? Or Natalya? Aren't they up to your standards? No? You know what I think, it's really pathetic of you, Sasha. Since you're the leader of your little group, I'll hold you accountable. This is really revealing of how you stand as Divas Champion. Figures you'd look past the locker room and go right to NXT where you could grab the most popular Diva in order to get the crowd on your side. At least when Team Bella was still around - even now as Phoenix - we only needed the women that were already here. You asking someone from _developmental_ of all places who has absolutely no idea what's happening up here or how anything works here for help is pretty damn weak of you. Especially when it's someone like her."

"You better step your ass down, Nikki—" Sasha said, her eyes blazing with intensity as she took a step forward. How dare Nikki try to judge her as a leader as well as her best friend in the same breath?

Bayley put her arm in front of Sasha to stop her. "Hey!" she started, turning back to Nikki. "Someone like me? Are you kidding me? With all due respect, I am the one holding the Women's Championship here, and have for three-hundred and three days and counting! Might I remind you that that's longer than your Divas Championship reign?" Nikki's eyes flared up with rage - this child did not just go there. "Call me whatever you'd like, but don't disrespect Sasha like that or where I've come from."

"Oh, I get it, you think you're better than me because you hug people all damn day and ALL of these people love and adore you, right, Bayley? Is that what you're saying? How about you go running back to NXT where you belong and stay out of business that doesn't concern you, _little girl_." She leaned forward so she got every word. "Because you know what? I am what a real woman looks like; little girls aspire to be me, not you, and Bayley, you will never be able to touch me. Nothing you've done will ever match up to what I've done, and you wanna know why? Because you are a joke that no one will ever take seriously."

"What exactly have you done, Nikki," Charlotte said, stepping forward to stand up for her ally. "besides act out of cowardice? One out of two times you've ever walked on your own two feet, I beat you for your Divas title and held it for a hundred and ninety-six days. Not only that, but I beat you clean. Twice. Back-to-back. I even beat your teammate Paige and twin sister Brie over there by myself! Oh, and one more thing, if you have to refer to yourself as a 'real' woman, chances are, you're not as real as you think you are."

"You come at me spewing that hunk of junk when you're such a hypocrite! Don't you dare come at me like that, you compulsive lying, two-timing bi—" The two former champions stepped up to one another were seconds away from knocking out the other's teeth; all of these women were feeling quite combative on this night.

"Whoa!" Bayley shushed them and got in between them, using her hands to signal 'calm down' by waving them a little. "Let's break some of this tension here…" She looked at Nikki, her eyes almost worried-like. She got that look whenever she sensed some kind of danger imminent. "You think I'm a joke, is that right? How about this then - how about you and me face off tonight? Former champion and current champion…" She let the air breathe again, raising her eyebrows as if to further ask her opponent. The two locked eyes, and Bayley knew Nikki didn't trust her in the least bit. Not that that surprised her. "…but I don't want you at just any time; I want to face you in the main event. Just like in NXT with everyone who's ever doubted me, I'll prove to you that I'm not in fact a joke, and that I'm _proud_ to be from NXT, and that I'm _proud_ to be carrying this Women's Championship!" She huffed a little at the end, unable to hold back some of the quivers that started that caused her to twitch. The more she talked the angrier she became in speech. She raised her championship high in the air with pride, a symbol of the culmination of her success. "I have faced some of the best competitors and female wrestlers this world has ever seen, in Brooklyn, in London, in Florida, and in Texas, and all for the sake of this championship right here, so tell me to my face, Nikki—" Bayley stepped up to the Longest Reigning Divas Champion, who refused to look her in the eyes. "—am I a joke?"

The leader of Phoenix bit the insides of her cheeks as she looked to the ground, snorting and smirking to herself. Her fellow teammates were whispering in her ears, telling her how much of a bad idea this match was.

"You don't want to humiliate the top of the NXT Divas Division on her first night here, do you, Nikki?" Foxy asked. "No, Nikki; don't do this to her. She's not worth it."

"Actually, you know what? I think I will. Game on, Bayley. I'll meet you in the main event." Bayley smiled but was immediately confronted with her opponent, her microphone millimeters from the Women's Champion's face. "I defended my Divas title in Japan. Worked all over the world representing that title for three-hundred and one days. You're not the only 'world-class' champion here. Just realize that if you step in the ring with me tonight, then I am going to _break you_ and make a joke out of you _._ You're going to regret this, bitch." The crowd gasped audibly, some covering their mouths and widening their eyes in horror as Charlotte and Bayley had to hold Becky and Sasha back from beating the holy hell out of the former Divas Champion. That word could never be used to described the Hugger; she was one of the purest human beings on the planet, like a personified baby animal. Nikki laughed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Let's just see how helpful you really will be to your precious little ponies when I'm done with you." She snorted as she and her team left the ring, leaving the Four Horsewomen alone; the last time this happened was back at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn when Bayley first won the title.

The Huggable One, along with her three allies, found their way backstage after the segment was over, discussing some strategies for her main event match.

"Since there's four of us and four of them now," said Becky, "you won't have to worry about interference."

"We got your back, girl," said Charlotte.

"You do you out there, and we'll handle the rest. You can do it," said Sasha, giving her best friend a reassuring expression. "You want to know why? Cuz you're the best, champ."

"It's true." Becky winked, holding up four fingers; Bayley responded with the same sign. She felt her confidence level rise as she mentally prepared herself for the match.

"Thanks, friends."

A match and main-eventing Raw, something the women haven't done since Lita versus Trish Stratus for the coveted WWE Women's Championship. No pressure, right? Thankfully Bayley had been comfortable main-eventing NXT TV on a regular basis, along with Takeover: Respect back in October against The Sasha Banks, of course. Bayley was writing history on this night, but it was something that she was always destined to do; if anyone could handle the task at hand, it was her. People were going to remember her name tonight.

The clock struck 10:35 that night, and she knew it was game time. Dressed in her wrestling gear with her orange jacket over her shoulders and her championship around her waist, she was ready for battle. With Becky, Charlotte, and Sasha by her side, Bayley made her way to the Gorilla Position. She was to be the first one to go out, and she would do so alone.

"Look, you girls know that I love you to the moon and back," Bayley told them, "but this match I have to go at it alone. I'm gonna prove to her that she was wrong to take me lightly, and that I can do this match on my own, like I always do in NXT." She smiled confidently at her allies, and they understood, though they still felt a little uneasy about it. "Now, if you see any shenanigans going on, then yeah, by all means, jump in!"

That settled the nerves.

So on her own two feet, the NXT Women's Champion walked down the ramps for the second time that night, and the crowd was still electrified and excited to see her; the warm fuzzies she felt were blossoming deep in her heart. Bayley held the silver championship in her hands after taking off her jacket; fragments of every battle she ever faced flashed through her mind, reminding her where she came from to both get to the WWE and to get this blessed title. She was fiercely proud of where this path had led her, and she would be damned if she allowed anyone to try and hinder her progress. With a look of determination, she put the championship in the corner of the ring, stretching her arms as she eagerly awaited her opponent.

' _You can look, but you can't touch…'_ the theme of both Bella Twins began to play as the Longest Reigning Divas Champion made her appearance, shaking her hips in a circle like she did every time. By her side, she had her teammates, all sporting a "Team Phoenix" shirt - which looked exactly the same as their "Team Bella" shirt. Seeing as Bayley brought out her own jacket, the former champion decided to wear her letter jacket of the past, with her pale blue wrestling gear underneath and the word 'FEARLESS' spread across the length of her top piece. Nikki had a walk of confidence as she walked to the ring, swinging her hips as she did with her red lips curled in a confident smile. Something about the look in her eyes reminded Bayley vaguely of Nia Jax, but she wasn't quite sure what it was. Nikki entered the ring along with her friends and immediately got in the Hugger's face, Paige hovering from behind while Brie and Foxy got the sides. Bayley was trapped.

"Rookie mistake leaving your friends behind," Nikki hissed, immediately slapping her across the face hard; Bayley could feel a handprint appear on her cheek.

Nevertheless, she stood her ground, even after hearing the crowd gasp in shock. She pressed the palm of her hand against her cheek, and in her own way of defiance, she straightened her back and looked Bella right in the eye. "Well, Nikki, unlike you, I can fight my own battles," she retaliated. It wasn't the first time she had to beat the odds, and certainly not the last.

"You really think this is YOUR battle?" Nikki pushed her - shoved, really - back into Paige who also pushed back against her; soon, Phoenix had her down on the ring, beating her down in a fit of rage. All Bayley could do for the moment was keep her hands and arms up to protect her face.

"Go back to NXT!"

"You're not welcome here!"

"Who do you think you are?!"

The bell didn't even ring yet, and Bayley was getting beaten down; the referees were powerless against this team.

The electronic beats to the current Divas Champion's theme - Sasha's theme - sounded off as the NXT Three dashed to the ring, wasting very little time. The women - aside from Nikki who had a fist full of Bayley's hair - all backed off and prepared for battle, standing in front of the two combatants. Charlotte was the first in the ring and, without stopping her momentum, speared right through Foxy and Brie. Becky came in next and zoomed behind Paige, grabbing her and tossing her emphatically over her head in a German Suplex that the raven-haired wrestler would surely feel for days. Nikki glared at all three of her teammates and three of the Four Horsewomen; they were all disposed of so easily! The thought distracted her long enough for Sasha to snatch Nikki by her own hair, getting her off of Bayley. The current Divas Champion took Bella's hands from behind and jumped up so that her knees would hit her in the spine, the two ladies falling backward as Sasha trapped her in a Straight Jacket, her foot resting up against her backbone and stretching her out. And for good measure, the Boss shook the former champion so that her spine would collide with her foot, bruising it even a little; this was payback for the dirty words said against the Women's Champion. Bayley had enough time to recuperate now that nobody was keeping her down. The other five women had slipped out of the ring and the action was still happening; Charlotte and Becky were able to neutralize and take control of the situation. The Lass Kicker focused her attention on Paige, and threw her over the announce table as if she were as light as a feather, her body flying at Byron Saxton, JBL, and Michael Cole - the three of them all screaming and trying to get out of the way. Charlotte on the other hand shoved both Brie and Foxy into the steel steps, their backs all cracking against the hard metal and filling the arena with the noise; the looks on their faces expressed a silent pain as the Dirtiest Diva in the Game showed off her incredible amount of strength. She stood over her victims like a warrior, her chilling eyes expressing no sympathy.

The Huggable One heard the destruction occur around her as she snapped back into reality and got back to her feet. She grabbed Nikki by the ankles and pulled her to freedom in a swift motion so when she landed, she landed on her feet. Sasha looked up at her ponytailed friend with confusion as she stood as well.

"I can handle her now," Bayley said; the pink haired champion nodded her head and left the scene, letting Charlotte and Becky know it was time to back off and make sure no more shenanigans could be pulled.

Nikki was hunched over, her hand pressed up against her back as the NXT Women's Champion had her hands gingerly on her forearms. "You alright?" she asked her 'Fearless' competitor. She nodded in response, her eyes glowing and tearing up with a sympathetic expression; it was all a ruse, of course, as Nikki forced Bayley back off of her and landed a cruel elbow - the so-called 'Bellahammer' - in her face. She took a few steps away as the referee signaled for the bell to ring, starting the match. Bayley made the mistake of turning her back to her opponent as Bella decided to send punches to the back of her neck, making her go down to her knees as she wrapped her arm around her neck in a chokehold, the inside of her elbow snug against Bayley's throat.

"You like that champ, huh? You like that?" Fearless Nikki yelled, restraining her opponent to the best of her ability. The other three of the Four Horsewomen hung around the outside of the ring, watching the match unfold and willing their ally to fight through it. It took a moment, but with the help from the crowd chanting her name, the Hugger was able to stand up firmly and elbow Phoenix's leader in her abs a few times, each time loosening the tight, vice-like grip until she finally let go. With Nikki hunched over and holding her stomach, Bayley hit the ropes, gaining some momentum to bash into her opponent, making her fall to the ground. The Hugger repeated this action a few times, using her shoulder to force her down. However this surge of control didn't last long in her favor as the dirty blond wrestler stayed at one point, forcing Bayley past her and giving her the time to get back up and snap her over her shoulders in a Fireman's Carry. The center of Bayley's back slammed hard against the unforgiving wooden ring, causing her to squeal in pain, her legs twitching. Nikki laughed and in front of her started to antagonize her by doing a couple of push ups.

"Aww, you in pain, Bayley? You gonna cry?" She hissed, grinning and revealing her perfect, pearly white teeth. With the speed of a viper, she grabbed Bayley's arm, pressed her knee up against the side of her head to shove her face into the ring, and held her in an armbar. "Come on, champ! Don't you want to help your little friends?" She continued working on her left arm, increasing the pressure and twisting it to force the champion to cry out. Nikki held her there for about fifteen long seconds before the Huggable One moved her head out from under her knee and tried to regain a stance.

Every time the NXT Women's Champion tried to create some distance, Nikki had an answer for her. As Bayley got back to her feet, she pushed she who called herself Fearless away only to be slapped on the chest with the back of Nikki's hand. She fell against the ropes as Nikki grabbed her from behind and tossed her over her head in an emphatic German Suplex, the California-native landing on her shoulders. She went in for the pin, hooking her leg and with the ref counting until two - a kick out. Nikki rolled her eyes as she grabbed the brunette's ponytail - messing it up in the process - and continued her punishment.

Nikki trapped Bayley with her thighs around her head and holding her steady in place on the ring with her shins crossed over her stomach.

"Feels good, Hugger?" Bella had a knack of talking to her opponents in the ring. Her thighs tightened in a pulsing motion before swiftly turning over, and adding insult to injury, starting to do some push ups with Bayley still entrapped in her adversary's legs. "Yeah, that's right!"

With a sudden burst of energy - with her friends at ringside encouraging her as well - Bayley dug deep inside her to grab onto Nikki's thighs firmly, carefully bringing her knees up one by one and getting back to her feet. She yelled as she used her strength to pull her adversary up into an Electric Chair position.

"No, no—!" Nikki flailed her arms a bit before being slammed backward onto her weak spot, finally giving her opponent the few seconds of separation that she so desperately needed. Bella was laid out with her arms outstretched by her sides; Bayley was the first one up out of the two. She was walking into the proverbial lion's den when she accepted this match, but fighting for what was right, that was kind of her thing.

It was time for some offense. Once Bella was upright, the Hugger ran at her with Double Axe Handles, sending her back down each and every time. Bayley hopped up on to the corner turnbuckle as Nikki was getting back to her feet, tightened her ponytail to the glee of everybody watching, and jumped off, twisting her body in a corkscrew, grabbing Bella, and tossing her across the ring in an arm drag. The audience popped in that moment as their beloved was finally taking some control over the match. She walked over to her, wrapping her arms around her torso for a Bayley-to-Belly, but Bella was acting like dead weight, trying to not let the momentum change against her. Bayley did her best to lift the former champion but to no avail; she had to think fast, so she grabbed Nikki's wrist and threw her chest-first into the corner - Nikki bouncing off and letting out a loud grunt - following up with a elbow to shove her back again. She rolled back and as she stood, whirling around the way she always did before raining one more elbow down on her opponent, grabbing her blond hair and throwing her face down in the center of the ring for a Running Bull Dog. Bayley went for her first pin, but the referee only counted two.

Back and forth these two went, delivering suplexes, spinebusters, and Alabama Slams to each other. It was a competition to see who was the stiffer one of the two; both of these ladies were leaving the match with bruises all over their skins.

Eleven o'clock drew nearer, and who knew how much these two had left? Their wills to win were strong, too strong; who would outlast the other at this point? The two ladies were on the mats in the ring, struggling to get up. Nikki used the white ropes to try and pull herself up, a look of exhaustion beginning to show on her face. She looked over at her adversary and saw something she hadn't seen in any other person she's ever fought to the extent that was in her eyes. Bayley was having a hard time getting up, but when their eyes locked, Nikki saw it: Willpower. Her spirit was shining through those determined brown eyes of hers; her hair was a mess and spilling out from her ponytail, there _were_ bruises already all over her arms, and yet nothing was stopping her in this moment. Her face was scrunched up in a strange madness, using the sides of her arms to physically crawl to the center of the ring. They got up simultaneously, Nikki having a moment of realization that the person front of her was no joke, that she was about to become the respective Longest Reigning Women's Champion of her brand for a reason. Finding the strength in her to keep going, Bella launched herself at Bayley, aiming for a Bellahammer that missed cleanly; not only was Bayley not a joke, she was quick as a fox, ducking underneath the offense. She hit the ropes, gaining the momentum needed in order to leap forward and hit Nikki with the inside of her forearm.

The end was near! Bayley threw off some of her wrist bands in a fit of adrenaline and sized Bella up for a Bayley-to-Belly. The Huggable One started to run forward but Foxy jumped up onto the ring apron, distracting the ref. She was jumping up and down, pointing and screaming at Bayley for whatever reason if not to just hinder her enemy, and it worked; she stopped immediately and stared at Foxy in confusion. Sasha ran over to Alicia, taking her leg and pulling it out from underneath her to cause her to fall and hit her head. Without making a single sound, the raven-haired misfit - Paige - also jumped up on the ring apron, but behind Bayley, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her down hard. This time, Paige was met with Charlotte who snaked her arms around her pale waist and threw her into the barricade without a hint of forgiveness. Brie snuck onto the top of the turnbuckles and utilized a successful missile drop kick - out of the view of the referee who was still staring at Foxy and Sasha going at it - before being dragged away by the arm by Becky. Bayley was flattened while Nikki was not, thanks to her teammates; they were redeemed in her eyes. Nikki turned her around and held her over her shoulders, Bayley's arms and legs dangling beside her as the former champion dropped to her knees in a Rack Attack. People were screaming out in negativity, booing and yelling "no!" repeatedly as Bella went for the pin. The referee went back to doing his job as Nikki hooked her leg, her lips curled in a confident smile.

'One! Two! Thr—'

Kickout. At two and seven-eighths, the NXT Women's Champion had enough spirit left to lift her shoulder, much to the surprise of everyone; surely, that had been the end?

"What?" Nikki questioned, a look of horror across her eyes. Maybe again. She went for the pin once more, and she stilled kicked out at two; the leader of Phoenix banged her fists against the ring one, two, three times in a fit of rage. This was simply not happening; no one had kicked out of her finisher in months, if not years; it was one of the few finishers left that still signified the end of a match.

"That was not two!" she yelled, getting in the referee's face and holding up three fingers. "It was three! Learn to count!"

Bayley was truly struggling to make it back up; she needed the assistance of the ropes in order to get upright and even then, she gripped them for dear life. This had truly been one of the biggest matches of her life, and she still had so much left to prove. Nikki stared at her, the frustrations finally getting to her, huffing and puffing as she dashed ahead in order to hit just one more Bellahammer - that was what was needed to finish the job, surely - but Bayley went straight for her as well. These two women were going to collide at this rate, however, the Hugger decided to pull out one more stop. She jumped into Nikki's arms, her legs cinched around her waist and her arm wrapped around her neck - the Guillotine Choke, a submission maneuver she had been starting to use as a last resort. The audience was on their feet, cheering for a tapout. Sasha, Becky, and Charlotte made sure that the rest of Phoenix had no means of interfering in this end; Nikki was all alone. The leader tried to reach out to somebody for help or gain leverage but no one was there for an answer. The lights of her vision were fading, Bayley was screaming for her to tap, the referee was asking her questions, and she was on her own. She dropped to her knees but Bayley's grip only tightened; there was no escape. Seconds later, she couldn't stop herself from panically tapping on the Hugger's back, submitting to the soon-to-be Longest Reigning NXT Women's Champion. Her music began to play as she let go of her adversary, the two competitors dropping onto their backs exhausted.

"The winner of this match, the NXT Women's Champion, it's Bayley!" said ring announcer Lillian Garcia. The Four Horsewomen slid in the ring as Nikki receded in shame. For the first time since their creation, Phoenix had been laid out; turns out, the four of the Horsewomen truly did have something special, and Phoenix was officially put on notice the same way they always had done to those in the locker room.

Bayley's friends got her backstage with her title back in her possession. She was spent, her body ached, and yet the adrenaline flowing through her veins kept her wide awake and moving.

"We have to celebrate this amazing win," said Becky, an everlasting grin spread on her face. "You were outstanding out there; I'm telling you, you've grown so much since the first time we've fought. You're a force to be reckon with!"

The Women's Champion blushed shyly. "You're making me turn red…"

"Now that we got our Bayls back, the four of us will be unstoppable," Charlotte chimed in with that typical, toothless smile on her face. "To the future. And to the end of Phoenix."

"Hallelujah."

The champion was here to stay.

The Four Horsewomen changed into their street clothes, signifying the end of their night, and a celebration was now in order, though the champion had something else on her mind.

"Hey, you comin'?" asked Becky as the three were headed out the door.

"Actually, there's somebody I want to see… you gals go on without me."

"You sure?"

"Yeah! Have fun, okay?" And with that, she twisted on her feet and ran back into the locker room areas. There was one person she wanted to see, and that was none other than Finn. She had to see his face in reaction to this crazy night. But something in her heart made her want to seek out her friend. She felt this pull toward him, and the mere thought of seeing him smile was enough to make her peachy complexion redden. The two of them had a mutual respect and admiration for each other, and at this point, she wasn't going to deny how he gave her a different kind of warm fuzzy. She wasn't going to deny that her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. She needed to see him; she needed him in general. The Hugger searched for him, even called out his name to see if he would respond — he did not. Did he leave already? She pursed her lips and sighed, assuming she wasn't going to be successful in this endeavor — oh well. She turned on her heels and immediately bumped into a warm body; gazing up at the figure, it had been the man she had been looking for, oddly enough.

"Finn, there you are!" Bayley said, bursting out into a wide smile. There went her heart. "I was looking everywhere for you."

"Well, I was looking for you!" He smiled at her; as cliché as the expression was, she felt like she could get lost in his eyes. "I can't even put into words… you… you were something else tonight." He struggled to find any sort of sentence structure that would explain the level of amazement, pride, and happiness he felt for this woman; it simply could not be done. "You keep us all on our toes, Bayley; you never disappoint. You're always doing something different; there isn't anything that you can't do, is there?" He threw his arms around her and the two embraced; even as they leaned back, their arms were entangled in each other's.

"I don't know about that, per se…" She blushed as she brushed back some of her hair. "I still have my moments…"

"You're human after all. That's okay. I still think you're wonderful."

"Finn, I like you," she declared suddenly, the adrenaline so strong in her body that she couldn't hold it back anymore. She was admitting it to herself and to him all at the same time and in this moment, catching both him and her off guard. There was no turning back now. "I can't explain it… we had our cute little dates, and we were friends first obviously so we had this…connection… but tonight, I just can't help in saying it; I got such a high off that match, my first match _here_ , and I'm in such a happy place now since things have been absolutely perfect and honestly I just want to kiss you right now…"

The moment he heard the words 'kiss you,' Finn leaned in without hesitation, capturing those light lips of hers in his own and delicately placing his fingertips in the curve of her waist. _Flash._


	10. Chapter 10: The Devil Calls

**Hello, everyone! Just a bit of precaution that this chapter is more intense than previous chapters... Consider this a warning. Plus Finn swears once. Enjoy!**

* * *

The Demon Inside Me  
Chapter Ten: The Devil Calls

He didn't want to let her go, not in the slightest bit. His hands gingerly yet delicately rested against the curve of her spine and the curve of her hip as he kept her body close to his. His lips pressed against her soft ones as these two beings were frozen in this moment. Breathless, overwhelmed, emotional, content: You name it, they were feeling it, and neither wanted to be the first to break the kiss.

It took her a moment from the initial shock, but as her body relaxed into his touch, the Hugger allowed her arms to snake around his neck and her lips to lightly press back against his. Months in the making, and they were admitting to each other - and to themselves - that feelings were there.

Finn was the first to pull away in order to breathe, though his lips lingered millimeters from hers. With gentle eyes, he stared at her blushing face, finding a confidence he didn't know he had.

"I like you, too, Bayley," he murmured.

Her heart fluttered once he said those words back to her. "W-wow…" she whispered mainly to herself, trying to clear her throat and process what just happened. "Thanks for that… good to know, too." She was so nervous now; while she was known for getting flustered on occasion, this was a whole new ballgame.

"I've been wanting to do that ever since I first asked you out on a date," he said, his face lighting up in a wide grin, "probably a lot longer than that actually."

"I'm glad you did." Bayley let a moment pass before continuing. "…what does this make us…?" she asked quietly, clearly shy and nervous to what he could say. A tiny voice in the back of her mind kept telling her to stop being so anxious.

"What do you want us to be?"

"We're more than friends at this point…" She rubbed her forearm. "I… I want to be with you…"

He couldn't hold back a grin again. "Well, I'd prefer to be asked…" he teased, winking at her.

Bayley looked up at him, startled at first before breaking out into her own smile. "Finn Bálor…I wanna know…. will you be my boy…friend?"

The two burst out laughing before Finn nodded his head. "Only if you'll be my girl."

"Of course!" The newly-formed couple slid into each other's arms in a tight embrace before allowing themselves to submit to another satisfying kiss.

Admittedly, Finn had no idea where this confidence came from when it came to her; these past few weeks with the whole Wyatt Family ordeal weighed down on his shoulders, and it didn't help that he felt so isolated from the people he once called friends. The demon rumbled from within his belly, itching for the perfect opportunity to strike and break free from his chains. But Bayley… she was something else; she was the light in the darkness. From seeing her debut and take over Monday Night Raw - main eventing it, no less - to finally being able to kiss her and call her his, the focus was all on her, seeing her shine, and taking a chance. There were no Wyatts; there were no distractions — Monday was all Bayley. Finn knew he had to fight. He had to get in gear and screw his head on straight so that he could be the best man he could be for her and seize his own opportunities. His demon stirred within him, threatening the very thin layer of peace that he still had in his possession, but he had the strength to keep going. Bayley, she knew the demon already — she was no fool, and he couldn't hide this part of him from her. Finn lay in his hotel bed that night, staring at the ceiling and thinking of her smiling face. As he fell into a deep slumber, his mind was preoccupied with a person other than Bray.

Finn walked into the arena on July 4th for Monday Night Raw, and he was slowly feeling stable. Last week, he scored a win — a surprise rollup, but still a win — over former friend, Neville, the United States Champion. A win over him surely guaranteed him a title match, right? But as he walked the halls of the back part of the arena, he was on high alert, watching his back wherever he went. As he came in, he thought he saw the black sheep mask that Braun Strowman typically wore just laying on a bench out of the corner of his eye, and his immediate emotion was panic. All the good that he was just feeling, gone in a matter of seconds. Was it there in reality? Who knew the truth — it was what Finn thought that shattered that confidence. He simply did not know when or where the Wyatt would try to jump him; they were still out there, and they were still toying with him. Couldn't they leave him be; couldn't they move on to their next victim already?

His former friends were still scared of him; no, they were scared of the demon. They all saw what he came when the paint was on, and even when he was just the tiniest bit agitated. His matches with Mark Henry and Bray Wyatt showed how truly merciless he could be, all thanks to the wretched darkness that burned in him; whether or not Finn wanted to admit it or not, his control was breaking, if there were any control at all. The possibility of the Demon coming out permanently could wreak havoc and damage worse than when Demon _Kane_ first took off his mask. Good Ole JR was set on fire, Linda McMahon was tombstoned on the ramps, Shane McMahon was pinned to the ring post and electrocuted below the belt… people were tortured and humiliated due to Kane, so if Finn's demon was unleashed freely, what could happen to the staff, wrestlers, or Finn himself?

Cesaro ran up to Neville in the locker rooms. "Are you alright, champ?" he asked; the high flyer seemed a little tense. The two of them were seemingly alone.

"Still a little annoyed with my loss last week, you could say," Neville responded, putting tape over his wrists. "He's changed, Finn. His in-ring work isn't the same as it used to be. He fancies himself a high-flyer, but last week? No… he was more like a brawler, trying to overpower me and beat me down."

"Maybe we should talk to him, see what's going on. He seems to have gotten into his head a bit; I'm worried about the guy."

"No. Whatever's going on, he can figure it out himself. What's he going to do, cry about he doesn't know what's happening with himself or the Wyatts are torturing him? He'll find an excuse to suck you in and make you feel bad for him. It's the kind of guy that he is, Cesaro."

In the adjacent room with the other set of lockers was the man they were discussing, Finn, hearing every single word coming out of Neville's mouth.

' _Tell me how you really feel,'_ he thought to himself as he sighed. Regardless of the fact that he wanted to turn and walk out of there, he had to get into his wrestling gear…which he had put into one of the lockers near where Neville and Cesaro were standing. He had to suck it up for now.

Finn kept his eyes low as he walked into the room, avoiding contact with Cesaro and Neville at all costs and slipping his fingers over the lock to open the locker. Neville glanced at him, his eyes twitching before grabbing his things and walking away. The Swiss Superman hesitated as he looked from Neville to Finn, conflicted if he should say something or just stay quiet. He stayed quiet and walked off, leaving the Irishman all alone. He knew his friends didn't like him anymore, but to hear this sort of distrust be put into words… somehow, he had to not think about it. _'He'll find an excuse to suck you in and make you feel bad for him. It's the kind of guy that he is, Cesaro,'_ echoed in his mind louder the more he tried to avoid thinking. Now was not the time for this… he shut his eyes closed so that he could focus himself, and slid his arms through his leather jacket.

Suddenly he felt a buzz from the inside of his jacket pocket; it was a text message from Bayley, his _girlfriend_. His face flushed a bit when he saw her name pop up on the screen.

"Good luck tonight, Finn! 3" The text read. Tonight he wasn't sure exactly who he would be facing but the well wishes still meant something to him. Another one came through, also from Bayley. "I got your back…always."

She just knew what to say, when to say it. He didn't know how she had this intuition — or why a simple text was really getting to him; was he that alone? — but he knew he couldn't mess this up. His fingers quickly, eagerly responded with his own kind words. "Thanks, sweetheart… if you need backup or some luck of your own tonight, you know where to find me. :)"

His heart was ready to burst out of his chest. She sent a text back: "Will do! [kissing emoji]." Such unexplored territory this was for him, love… The only 'love' that Finn understood was the love he had for his family… and wrestling. Dating was typically out of the question since he had virtually no time to even hook up with anybody, so this experience with Bayley, however slow, was unchartered territory.

Finn left the locker room once he was all dressed, trying hard to keep his mind focused on either a positive energy or what he would be facing tonight.

"Finn, you're fighting Kofi Kingston tonight," one of the WWE officials said in a passing moment. At least he knew what he was going to do in the ring. _'Just focus on Kofi. Be yourself,'_ he thought, his eyes twitching in reference to Neville's comment about his in-ring work. Oh well, it didn't matter what he said. The clock in front of him said 8:50; it was showtime for him.

Kofi Kingston, with his fellow members of The New Day, went skipping out to ringside, the Tag Team titles around the waists of Xavier Woods and Big E. Woods had his trusty trombone, Francesca, in his possession as well as the group appeared. They seemed to be in particularly good spirits as they grabbed some microphones.

"Finn Bálor wants a piece of me?" said Kofi to the audience. "The New Day is always willing to give talent a go… anytime and anywhere!" They trailed off a little bit, talking about the city they were in and advertising their merchandise — "Booty O's! They make sure, you ain't booty!" — and the crowd was loving every second. But alas, the time came where Finn had to come out in order to kick off the match; Woods and Big E exited the ring as Kofi hopped in place as a bit of a warmup, also testing the ropes.

Finn's music started to play, the smoke filling the ramps as he came out. Bálor Club Worldwide was written in big white letters against the black titantron as he centered himself below it, allowing himself to feel present in that moment. When it was time to go, that's what truly counted — nothing else. He started to walk, albeit slowly so that he could gaze at the audience in the arena, before setting his eyes on Kofi, nodding his head lightly. _'You can do this,'_ he told himself. _'Focus. Don't forget to breathe.'_

But the match was futile as it never got the chance to even begin. The arena cut to black, the lights seemingly burnt out, as the audience went up in uproar. What was happening? Sucking in his breath quickly, fear settled in. His pupils widened — not that anyone could see — his heart banged against his ribcage, his body began to shiver, and he couldn't move. His head creaked as he looked from side to side, not even sensing another presence around him but still acknowledging that fear that plagued his stomach.

It had to be the Wyatts. There was no other persona in the WWE that would pull this off, other than Kane — a man who hadn't been seen in quite some time — and the Undertaker, who also hadn't been seen since Survivor Series. The Brothers of Destruction had no business messing with Finn…

Twenty seconds passed and then the lights flickered back into view, and it was something out of Finn's nightmare; the Wyatts had him surrounded with their ugly masks over their faces… except for Bray. Bray's chilling blue eyes stared into Finn's mere inches away with that eerie, toothy grin greeting his foe. With the agility of a man half his size, the Eater of Worlds wrapped his arm around Finn's neck, bending him over and slamming his face into the steel of the ramps, successfully executing his patented Sister Abigail. Everything went black for the Irishman while Bray couldn't hold back his laughter, getting on his knees with his arms outstretched to the sides.

"You're a fool, Finn Bálor! You cannot escape me!" Bray shouted before allowing himself to snicker once again. The New Day, the leaders of their Tag Team Division, watched this unfold for a few moments before running at the Family, not wanting to allow such lack of sportsmanship in their presence. Kofi ran at Bray while Xavier and Big E charged at Eric Rowan and Braun Strowman respectively, however, their efforts, while at first powerful and dominant, proved to be as futile as the match that never started. Rowan and Strowman smashed Woods and Big E into the steel of the steps and the barricades that separated the audience from them, many of the persons watching shrieking in shock at how close they were getting. Kofi had some success where he was able to momentarily separate Bray from Finn — Finn laying against the ramps unconscious — however one misstep and the Patriarch was able to crash into the Tag Team Champion, slamming him into the apron, most commonly known as the hardest part of the ring. Kofi let out of a loud gasp as his back hit against it, falling to his knees. Bray returned to Finn along with Rowan and Strowman, picking up the cruiserweight by the back of the neck. Rowan and Strowman, they grabbed him by the head and legs, and raised him high above their heads, the Wyatt Family whisking him away backstage with the former NXT Champion.

"You see, this is what happens when you don't listen to Bray, children," the Patriarch declared. "I told you I was coming for you, and you don't listen; no one ever listens. Let this be a warning to all of you watching; don't _ever_ underestimate Bray Wyatt again, because Bray Wyatt is a man of his word!" He dropped the mic and joined his brethren.

The next thing Finn knew was a gush of water raining down on his head, waking him up instantly. It was cold, the icy feeling like needles poking his skin. He gasped from the initial shock but came to quickly realize that the water was the least of his problems. He was tied down to a chair with a bunch of ropes — his hands tied behind his back — and he was not alone. The room he was in was dull as far as he could tell; only a faint light in a lantern illuminated this place.

"You just never learn, do you?" Bray said in his low, raspy voice. Eric and Braun were hiding their faces behind their masks, though Braun leaned over and slapped Finn across the face hard, blood flushing to his cheek and creating a dark bruise. "No! I want him comfortable…" Bray's arm shot up to separate the two men; Strowman obliged and backed off.

' _Comfortable?'_ Finn snarled in his thoughts. _'You pull this shit on me, and you want me comfortable…?'_ Slowly he lifted his head back up, blue eyes meeting blue eyes. Defiance glowed in Finn's expression, hints of the demon bleeding through even though deep down he was truly scared for his life. His hands shook with anxiety out of view/

"What're you going to do to me?" Finn asked, breaking his silence after a moment.

"We just want to talk, my boy," Bray replied.

"Talk? Don't make me laugh." As the Patriarch leaned beside Finn's chair, a sense of terror shot down his spine and he flinched and turned his head away as he felt his breath against the bare skin of his arm.

"I have and never will lie to you, Finn Bálor; I will always promise you that. Now that I have you here… it's about time we have a chat, don't you think?"

"Are you planning on killing me?" _'Just get it over with already.'_

The Eater of Worlds laughed a little. "If I just killed you…where would the fun in that be? Not when there's so much at stake…" He allowed his words to trail off as he nodded his head slowly and to himself; his brethren were standing guard, not moving or saying a single word. "We're going to let you go, my boy, but after we had our fair share of talking.

"What you have inside you… that sweet demon of yours…" Bray placed his finger tips along Finn's abs — it was at this point that he realized he was still in his wrestling gear, his leather jacket pried open to expose his body — causing the former NXT Champion to let out a loud grunt, his body involuntarily jumping. His fear was overwhelming, powerful…only manifesting more fear. "…that is what I desire. I see right through you, man, right through the façade that you think you've so cleverly created. Your power over this inner demon, your true potential and strength, is nothing more than a broken cage. You're so afraid over your real self… It's only causing you more stress…" His fingernails pressed against his bare skin, causing the Irishman to yelp. His heartbeat was erratic, his forehead beading with sweat. "Surrender yourself to me… and I'll be the one to control you. You need somebody who can put you in your place but unleash what you really are. I can make you better."

"You want to weaponize me…"

"Not at all. I want you on my side, Finn Bálor."

"Just let me go. We can put this all behind us, call it a night. I won't tell another soul about this… just let me go." Finn was begging… even he was shocked at how quickly he felt destroyed. His body trembled as he turned to face Bray.

"No… I want you to spread the word… because it won't matter what you do, my boy; it'll all end the same way for I have foreseen the future… you will kneel in front of me and declare your allegiance and brotherhood to me. But this version of you… your demon will surrender. You don't have what it takes to control it, but that is what I am here for. You weren't meant to lead… I was…" Bray slipped behind Finn's chair and sliced the rope that held him hostage with a pocket knife. Finn felt the cool metal against his hand for the quickest second and stopped all movement. He was no stranger to weapons, but this only worsened the situation.

"You're wrong…" Finn whimpered, how pathetic he felt in this moment. The rope fell to the floor and he was free… though he didn't dare move.

"Wrong? Have I ever been wrong?"

"You're wrong… you don't know me… you know nothing…"

"Ignorance is something I do not understand, Finn Bálor…" His lips curled into a sickening, creepy smile, his eyes lighting up in eerie joy.

"Ignorant about ignorance, huh? Isn't that ironic?"

"I like you, my boy… you have no idea how much I like you… but please, man, don't assume that I haven't a clue about your life when I know you better than you. I do my research… not to mention…" He pulled a couple photos from his back pocket, the top one revealing an image of Finn and Bayley kissing. Another revealed the two embracing in a tight hug. Finn stared at the photos in silence, his facial skin drooping into a frown as his eyes widened in horror; he could have sworn his heart stopped beating and exhaled audibly as a result. _'Anybody but Bayley…'_ What was he supposed to think except for the worst?

"What—"

"I've been watching your girlfriend for quite some time now as well… former NXT Women's Champion, one of the Four Horsewomen—"

"Everyone knows that—"

"—you were the first one she told about her callup back in that bar… she had a meeting with Triple H to discuss her plans. She'd been admiring you for a little while, just as you did with her… Did you know she and Asuka nearly came to blows backstage at NXT?"

"You leave her out of this. She's completely innocent in all this; don't you dare touch her."

"Shh… Put your fears at rest… No harm will come to her and has yet to arrive…" The Patriarch looked over his shoulder at Braun, nodding his head at him as the Black Sheep handed a red piece of cloth to him. "In fact… she's planning on meeting you quite soon…" Quicker than a fox, Bray slid the cloth — a blindfold — over Finn's eyes and grabbed him by the arms to pull him upright. Strowman and Rowan animated and replaced Bray's grip on him, picking him back up over their heads as they started to walk.

Moments later, Finn could feel a gentle, warm breeze against his skin, and he noticed he was put back on the ground, standing still. No one moved momentarily.

"Remember, my boy…" Bray leaned forward, his hot breath burning against Finn's ear. "Run." The blindfold was untied in one quick motion and disappeared along with the Wyatts.

Clarity. Finn was back in front of the arena where he had wrestled that night. Was he taken backstage, and now was outside? Did the Wyatts take him to some other place? All he knew was that he was afraid. Horrified, overwhelmed, and afraid. Why him? All he wanted to do was be in WWE and win championships, maybe one day be great enough to enter the Hall of Fame. 'Tis a simple desire, a dream, yet he felt like he was being crucified over a piece of himself, a part that he hated. He didn't deserve this, point blank. The Authority was enough, now this…

"Finn?" Bayley's voice popped up in the background. The Hugger was leaving the arena and was already comfortable in her street clothes; her brown eyes scanning the area in search of the man she now called boyfriend. "Where is he…" She had a particular good night, defeating the likes of Summer Rae, a woman she had a rich history with in NXT way back when. It meant something to hear to have buried a part of the past she had yet to overcome. Her head moved from side to side before seeing a familiar black leather jacket. Her expression lit up as she knew the man inside it and ran to him. "Finn, there you are! I was so worried about you!"

As he turned around to see her, she knew immediately something was wrong. He was pale, paler than usual; he gave fellow Irish competitor, Sheamus, a run for his money. His eyes that were once filled with such happiness were hollow and glassy. "Bayley…?"

She reached up to touch his face gently, noticing the large bruise that had taken shape; he flinched immediately. "What happened…? Are you okay…?"

"I… it's…" He shook his head and decided to wrap his arms around her in a tight hug. She was happy, she was safe. That's the only thing that mattered at that time. His only friend, his love, was safe and sound.


	11. Chapter 11: Fear

Long time no see, fellow readers... No, I have not forgotten about this story - I've just been very busy and haven't had any time in months to sit down and finish writing this. I've had most of this chapter in my notebook for a long time but it was a matter of completing it that was the hard part, haha. I hope you all still continue to enjoy and revisit this... thank you for the kind messages and reviews, and hopefully I will see you again soon. :) Enjoy...

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The Demon Inside Me

Chapter Eleven: Fear

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" asked Bayley; the newly formed couple returned to their hotel that night and decided to quietly munch on some stirfry in Finn's room. He had been particularly quiet ever since they got back, causing the Hugster to worry. Her dark brown eyes looked up to try to meet his but to no avail; his gaze was steadfastly on his plates.

"I don't want to worry you," he said, a quiver in his little voice.

"Telling me not to worry is going to make me worry more." She frowned; they were sitting adjacently at a small wooden table. "You can talk to me. Honest. We're friends first before all else."

"It's the Wyatts," he blurted out as soon as she stopped talking. "The Duck Dynasty lookalikes decided to…" - he chose his words carefully - "...approach me today. Well, maybe that isn't quite accurate…" His nervousness was getting to him as he remembered certain details. Bayley put her hand over Finn's and turned her body so that she was facing him completely, giving him her full attention. "They grabbed me before my match even started…"

"I remember that… where did they take you?"

"Couldn't tell you… I don't know it was a different building or if it was backstage, but the room was dark if not for a few lanterns… typical Wyatt-esque sort of thing. And they…" he bit his lip, cutting himself off and shaking his head. Should he tell her the part where they pulled out photos of the two of them and admitted to stalking her? He decided against it at the moment to avoid panic. "...Bray wants my demon. He says he's the one who knows how to control it and that I'm no good anymore…"

"He couldn't be more wrong." Bayley put her hand over his.

"I don't know about that… I can barely keep myself in gear nowadays."

"You're under so much stress; you haven't really stopped to breathe since you made your debut on Raw. Maybe you need a break."

"No way; I worked so hard to make it here; I can't stop now. Taking any time of would destroy any momentum that I've built."

"Not even just one day? We'll do something fun, go to the beach or the mountains or something."

"You'd take time off…?"

"What's a day?"

"No. Neither of us can do that. Hell, you still have NXT to think about, plus the main roster." Bayley frowned at that; he did have a point. "You're our NXT Women's Champion, Bayley. You have to stay. For the fans, the little kids out there… you know."

"I still care about you and your well-being though... " The two met each other's gazes, sincerity sparkling in those brown eyes of hers. Finn's face relaxed as he leaned forward and kissed her softly; if anything granted him peace nowadays, it was when he could just lean over and capture her lips. He pulled away slightly, his lips still lingering over hers. Her heart skipped a bit still.

"I know… and I appreciate your concern," he said in a soft voice, sitting back in his chair. "It's gonna be okay."

"If you need anything…" she started, giving him that sincere look. She'd do just about anything to keep him safe.

"I'll come find you. Promise." He forced himself to smile a little - which wasn't that hard since she knew how to do it for him - and she nodded in response.

"Now! Catch me up on what's happening with the Women's Division."

"Slowly but surely…. We are going to tear down Phoenix. All four of us!" Bayley beamed at the idea of taking the 'top dog' position with her best friends (and Charlotte). "We're going to change the game up on the Main Roster like how we did in NXT… these girls better be ready for us."

"You guys are unstoppable. Excuse me, you ladies." He grinned at the correction. She grinned in response; never had she felt prouder to be a woman than when she held the NXT Women's Championship, or having the best women friends around, or the fact that she gets to wrestle the very best in the business… those times were now.

The two lovebirds moved on to more lighthearted conversation, Finn secretly praying for the bad air around him to disperse. He was all alone in this room with Bayley, but every instinct in his body told him they were being watched. After a few hours of eating, chatting, and watching a movie, Bayley returned to her hotel room down the hall. Finn gave her a kiss good night and nearly asked her to stay the night; the thought of being alone made him all the more nervous, but he knew he had to let her go. She paid for that room… money still mattered. And besides, they were taking this relationship slow. No need to jump into everything or ruin a good thing. The lights went out in his room, and he laid in bed, a million thoughts running wild in his mind. Sleep not come easily that night as his blue eyes stared unblinkingly at the ceiling above him.

After a weekend of rather peaceful live events, Monday Night Raw reared its head yet again. Bayley and Finn arrived together, still keeping this relationship quiet for the time being; it was for them to enjoy and no one else. No hand holding, no kissing, no nothing in public. The two split up to go to their respective locker room, Bayley finding her buddy, Sasha, to talk to.

"So, what's the plan for tonight, champ?" Bayley asked the Divas Champion. "Kicking some Bella butt?"

"Oh, you know it," Sasha replied, connecting her knuckles with Bayley's as her face lowered. "Though Stephanie decided to create a Divas Beat the Clock challenge so she gets a new Number One contender for my title, and you can probably guess who's gonna be in it."

"Phoenix for sure…"

"And you, and Charlotte, and Becky, and some others. I gotta be on commentary for the entire thing… that should be interesting."

"No pressure! You're gonna have fun; sure, there's probably gonna be a brawl or two with the Boss close by…"

"Do you expect anything less?" The two besties smiled at each other and headed off to the locker room in order to get ready for the night; 'twas to be a long one.

The night started off with one of the several Beat the Clock matches; the first was Paige versus Foxy, two members of Phoenix. Something strange happened with the two of them when the bell rang; the two of them just sort of stared at each other. They walked around the ring, circled each other, and teased starting the match only to laugh it off as some kind of joke that they were faking out the crowd, their fingers brushing the others' only to slide away. The crowd, obviously confused, grew a little restless and began to chant: "Start the match!" only for their annoyances to fall on deaf ears. It took a minute before they finally did square up, though their hearts weren't in it. This was a chance to be the next woman to challenge for the Divas Championship and potentially be the next top dog, but there was no competition between the two of them; it was as if they were just wasting time.

Five minutes passed, then seven, eight, nine… they were in no rush. Even those on commentary were expressing confusion over the two; JBL could be heard saying: "You have an opportunity to face Sasha Banks for the Divas title at Battleground, and these ladies are wasting time dillydallying!" The clock reached ten minutes, and suddenly, Paige put Foxy in the PTO, and immediately tapped her out. People were happy to see the match end, and were also happy to express their displeasure. The women cleared the ring, allowing the next segment to roll.

At the end of the next segment around 8:45 pm, the women were back out, this time the match including Naomi versus Summer Rae. This was a significantly more athletic match, the crowd much happier to see these women. Naomi was particularly impressive; there was a fire in how she wrestled that night, as if she had a point to prove to anyone and everyone who was watching her. No strike, no kick, and no attack was a wasted effort as she pummeled the yellow haired dancer. Six minutes passed and Summer got caught in the Slay-o-mission, instantly tapping and crying out in pain. The bell rang, and Naomi turned to face Sasha immediately. Naomi, her eyes ablaze, set her eyes on the Divas Championship that lay securely on the announce table beside the champion.

"I'm coming for you, baby girl," the winner of the match declared, her hands over her stomach where the title would be. "I'm coming for you and that title; it's coming home to me!"

"Come and get it, Naomi - who's stopping you?" Sasha yelled back.

The second hour began, and Finn knew he had to go out there soon. He had found a secret room in the arena and hid there for about a half hour. People would wonder where he was, and hell, why he was hiding, but he needed a quiet place to get his thoughts together. Or did he? The longer he stayed in one place, the more his own thoughts began to betray him; the Wyatts, if they reared their ugly heads 'round, could easily whisk him off, and he'd never be seen again. Forcing himself to move from the deserted, tiny room, Finn made his way back to the Gorilla Position, where he could properly wait his turn; the monitor showed a segment between champions Ambrose and Reigns, bragging about how they were going to clear out all the divisions so only they were left at the top. Finn watched and rolled his eyes, only to suddenly hear the theme that summoned the Wyatts; he swore all the air in his body came rushing out all at once, needing to put his hand on the wall to steady himself. Well, this was sudden.

The two champions and the Wyatt Family were all joined together in the same ring, Ambrose hosting his occasional show, "The Ambrose Asylum," with special co-host, Roman Reigns, and special guests, The Wyatt Family.

"So! Bray, my buddy," Ambrose said into the microphone with the typical inflections in his voice, smiling enough where his dimples were showing. "You're a bit of a spooky dude. And a hard man to try to find for an interview. Have you noticed that? It's kinda hard?" He turned to his brother to ask that question, even nudging him, Roman shrugging and saying: "I'm not that surprised."

"If you know where to look, that's where you'll find me, Ambrose," Bray said with a relaxed and cool voice. Finn was watching his heart attempting to beat out of his chest.

"Cool story. Now, back to why I called you out here… you've been quite the busy man as of late. You seem to have your eyes fixated on a certain Irishman." Dean leaned in toward Bray a bit, but still kept his distance from the Eater of Worlds. "What're you up to?"

Bray laughed, the world around him chilling from his creepy smile. "It's never just an answer, Dean Ambrose. What I see lurking deep inside that man's belly, I have never seen in anyone else. That fire he's got, that demon… he will never admit his fear over it, but that is the reason why he keeps it locked away, chained to the walls of his inner mind, only letting it free on his terms. However lately… the more I'm around him, the less control he has. His power is slipping, the chains are weakening, man… and I'm the one who's takin over whether he wants me to or not."

"Them's fightin' words, Bray!" Dean said laughing a bit, as if this situation was all some kind of hilarious joke. "What if I struck ya deal, you crazy psychopath? How about… we give you Finn to do whatever you want with? And you just… keep doing you." Bray blinked in response, some curiosity blooming in his icy blue eyes. "No catch!"

"There is always a catch."

"We just want him out of the way," Roman said, his voice relaxed. "And since you want him so bad, we can give him to you. Everybody's happy."

"You misinterpret my message, Reigns, Ambrose; I have him where I want him. No one other than the Wyatt Family shall touch him. I work for no one…" His voice was slow so the audience had to listen in on his words, but it only added to the intensity of his whispered words. "However… for a sweet price… I would be more inclined to aide my fellow man."

"So what is this 'sweet price' you speak of, Bray?"

"Join me."

'Ambreigns' exchanged a quick glance at one another before looking back at Bray, smirks curled on the corner of their lips. "You're the boss," Roman simply said, quiet understanding between those three men. If letting Bray think he was the one in control helped get what they want, 'Ambreigns' were happy to let him indulge in that façade.

"But do not get too comfortable; the only ring leader around here is me."

Finn couldn't believe his eyes watching this segment; he knew those guys didn't like him very much, but to make a deal with Bray in front of the WWE Universe? This had to be a ruse; no man in that ring could possibly be trusted. They would turn their backs on the other at the first chance they got, and they knew that there was a chance that he would be watching this, right?

"Finn, I know you're watching," said Bray as if on cue. Finn gasped a little at the mention of his name. "I've got a piece of advice for you." He laughed quietly to himself as if he told an amusing turn of phrase. "Run." And with that, the segment was over, and all he wanted to do was just that. There had to be some way to make this all go away. Some way… he swallowed hard, trying desperately to get his mind back in gear and focused.

Another segment passed, another Women's match, this one being Tamina versus Becky Lynch. Finn was still watching, feeling the slightest bit of comfort in watching his mentee take action. He always felt this spark of pride in his heart whenever he got to see her wrestle, knowing that she went from being a wide-eyed teenager eager to learn from him to a full-fledged warrior, taking on anyone and everyone who crossed her path. Tamina was no slouch, though; after all she was the daughter of Hall of Famer, Jimmy 'Super Fly' Snuka, and she had a power unlike anyone else in her division. The two women had a tense back and forth natch, knowing they had about six minutes to work with if they wanted to continue forward. Tamina hit a powerbomb, Becky hit a leg drop from the top rope, Tamina landed her patented super kick. One, two, three minutes passed, and the audience could feel the urgency in both women as they passed the four minutes. Who was going to be the winner, or would there be one? Neither were willing to give into the other…

…until Tamina got caught in the Dis-Arm-Her with ten seconds to spare. Tamina kicked her in the gut so the orange-haired lass would collapse to the ground, laying with her back to the canvas and surely seeing stars. Hastily, Tamina reached her arm out to grab Becky to finish the job when she sprung back to life, wrapping her legs around her shoulder and yanking the thirty-eight year old's arm close to her chest. Becky twisted so she was sitting on Tamina's shoulder, pulling the arm in a position it never should be in with all of her might. The audience began to count down, and no matter how much pain she was in, Tamina was not giving in. Five… four… three… Becky was practically draped over the Hall of Famer daughter's back, pulling as hard as she could, but before she knew it, the clock buzzed and time was out. It wasn't until the end that Tamina started to tap.

Naomi remained in the game, while Paige, Alicia, Tamina, Summer Rae, and Becky were out, much to the Lass Kicker's chagrin. Once again, she was coming up short. It was up to Charlotte now to make sure that the likes of Brie and Nikki don't advance forward, though trusting her was something that made Sasha's stomach churn with uneasiness; even as a group, she had to watch the Nature Girl like a hawk.

Bayley went to look for beau backstage, her mind with concerns between her own affairs and her love interest; now that she had a second to breathe, it was mainly concern for Finn. She had seen that segment with Bray and 'Ambreigns' when it aired and to say that she was horrified would be an understatement; there was no way that Hunter would allow them to threaten one of their own like that, right?

"Hey, have you see Finn anywhere?" she asked one of the light guys, to which the answer was no. She kept moving, the NXT Women's Championship bouncing slightly against her stomach as she walked. Her dark eyes scanned every object as if it were some kind of clue that would lead her into the proper direction. She made it into the nosebleed section of the arena, where down below people were tearing down the ring for the night. Bayley's head twisted and turned, but as she swiveled on her feet to continue her search, something caught her eye, a man with pale skin whose face was buried in his hands. Her search was over.

"Finn…?" She kept her voice soft as to make sure she wouldn't frighten him. "That you…?"

The sound of her voice forced him to snap his head back up, caught off guard and slightly embarrassed. "There you are," Finn said, forcing himself to smile. It was evident by the redness in his eyes that something was wrong. "I was looking for you."

"I could say the same to you."

The five-foot-eleven man stood up and embraced her, his arms trembling; he quietly cursed at himself in his mind for being so obviously broken. "I thought I lost you…"

"What do you mean?" She wrapped her arms around him gently, concerned and a tiny bit wary; what caused this sudden change in him?

"I thought… maybe that the… the Wyatts had…" He took a breath, his speech failing him. "...that they got you…"

"Of course not, they haven't laid a finger on me."

Hearing that confirmation made the tears well up in his eyes, but he would not allow them to fall; instead, he hugged her closer, a teensy bit desperate to believe this was all real.

"How about we go back to the hotel… kick up our feet and watch a good movie… get some food… and we just relax?" she asked him, offering a quiet, comfortable night.

"Will you stay with me?"

"Of course I will."

The festivities would continue on the blue show, Smackdown, as the remaining women in the preliminary round - Nikki, Brie, Charlotte, and Bayley - would be off to face each other in a Fatal Fourway. The time to beat at six minutes stood tall as the four women gathered in the ring at the start of the show. The moment the bell rung, Brie dropped to the canvas as Nikki quickly went for the pin; Charlotte and Bayley immediately grabbed Nikki and tossed her elsewhere to break the count. Charlotte then grabbed Brie's legs and went for the Figure Eight, to no avail as Brie pushed her away; Bayley threw her arms around Nikki for the Bayley-to-Belly, but also to no avail as Nikki blocked it. They were at a stand still, however with the clock ticking, they had to work fast.

Three, four minutes passed, and the NXT Women's and former Divas Champions were in the ring together alone; Bayley and Nikki ran at each other, Bayley hitting her patented Double Ax Handles. She landed a dropkick on her opponent, causing her to fall back against the ropes and giving the Hugster a moment to pull her ponytail into place, her arms outstretched for the final blow. Charlotte and Brie were collapsed outside as Charlotte speared Brie through the barricade. Bayley ran forward and caught Nikki in the preliminary hug, however time froze for just a moment in her world and a chill grabbed ahold of her; a voice like a hushed whisper breathed against her ear, saying simply: 'Run.' She knew, in this moment, Bray was speaking to her, and he had the control.

This hesitation allowed the Fearless One to push Bayley off her and slam a Bellahammer into her face, the Huggable One getting a hard dose of reality back as she could taste blood fill her mouth. Nikki was able to take full advantage as she pulled Bayley up onto her shoulders, hitting the most hardhitting Rack Attack that she could, and getting the pinfall at five minutes.

Even with the likes of Charlotte and Bayley in the match, they together could not overcome the leader.

Sasha stared at her new Number One contender, sucking part of her bottom lip into her mouth as her eye twitched in annoyance. 'Here we go again,' she thought to herself. Nikki made eye contact with the current Divas Champion and blew her a kiss.

"That championship is coming home to me," she said with an air of confidence, her lips curling into a twisted smirk. 'Like hell it will,' Sasha thought, raising the butterfly belt high above her head before stepping into the ring for a real staredown. They got up in each other's faces with the title still high in the air, but they didn't allow themselves to start a fight; their match was going to happen again, and they weren't going to mess with the timing. Not today, but soon.

The veteran versus the up-and-coming star; 'tis a curious one.

Finn remained backstage, and was watching the entire match unfold; why did Bayley hesitate? She went in for her finisher but suddenly just stopped when she hugged her; she had the match won but she hesitated. He didn't see anything wrong… was it a footing issue, an injury, or did her mind go blank? Never before did he see something like that happen. He had to ask about that later; he hoped she were okay.

Meanwhile in his mind, he could feel himself slipping, the demon inside him starting to ache for freedom. Never in his life had he had this lack of control, and it was driving him off the edge, not help from the Wyatt Family's interference. Maybe he should go back to NXT where he could be safe… but then again, they could just show up there as well; that was their original home anyway. Nowhere was safe, and Finn knew it. Perhaps it was time to just… accept it.


End file.
